Changing Hearts
by JinxWriter
Summary: Based on the movie. Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange believes his old life is what gives him meaning, but when he meets a young woman who seems to know him more than he knows himself, his whole world is in for one crazy ride.
1. Prologue

Changing Hearts

Prologue

The chimes echoed through the silent night of Kamar-Taj, not a trace of a single student in sight. The moon shone brightly and stars danced in the sky, lighting up Kamar-Taj with a blue and silver light that could take one's breath away. Everything seemed to be peaceful and tranquil, or so everyone thought. A shadow darted past the chimes that echoed through the night hung on a pillar, heart beating wildly and breathing heavily.

Remi Ramirez raced up the stairs as sweat beaded down her forehead. She had to hurry, for her senses were telling her that something was wrong, very wrong. Pulling down the hood of her dark red cloak, she wiped the sweat away and continued on, opening the doors that lead into Kamar-Taj. With one quick look to make sure no one was following her, she sighed with relief and closed the doors behind her.

Her footsteps echoed down the hallway as she raced passed bedrooms, training halls, and meditation rooms towards the library. Once she reached her destination, she took a minute to rest. Her chest heaved up and down with each passing moment, her chest heavy filled with the weight of a sense filled with dread. She looked around the enormous library, books filling the shelves and tables stacked in front of one another filled with chairs, a good 30 or more students could fill this one entire room. However, as she looked around, she realized that this was not the room she was meant to be in.

"No, this isn't right!" she whispered to herself as she raced to the other room next door. Running inside, she looked around at the books chained to the metal shelves. She saw some that were thick with a blueish hew and symbols in the middle of the leather covers. Her senses started to kick in once more, telling her to go over to the first shelf. Jogging over, she looked around for the certain book that was being tampered with, her senses warned her, and before she knew it, her eyes came to the top of the metal shelf. The Book of Cagliostro sat finely chained up, nothing appearing out of the ordinary.

"Here it is!" Remi sighed with relief. She unchained the book and started to flip through the pages, but when she came to the middle of the book, her eyes widened in horror. Two of the pages were missing, having been ripped from the middle of the seam. She continued to flip through the book, worried that more pages had been tampered with, but realized that the two she saw were missing were the only ones to have been ripped out. She quickly put the book back in place and began to eye the others of the collection before she heard the sound of heavy footsteps directly behind her.

"Master!" Remi informed. "The Book of Cagliostro! Someone tore out the forbidden ritual pages!" her head whipped around, but to her horror, it was not the librarian she had expected.

"So…you know," it was a male voice, deep and dangerous. Remi saw he had on orange and brownish-grey robes, orange guards over thick heavy boots, long grey hair tied back into oriented braids that went down in a ponytail. She saw more people begin to form around her, young men and women, the same facial expressions spread across their faces like his.

"Kaecilius," Remi realized, a scowl forming her facial features. "Where is the librarian?!"

The man, Kaecilius, stayed silent, but unfolded one hand behind his back and tossed something right at her. Remi gasped in shock and covered one hand over her mouth, her light amber eyes widening when she saw a severed human head right at her feet. Much worse, it was the head of the librarian that Kaecilius had ruthlessly slain while invading the Kamar-Taj library. Remi's body began to shake uncontrollably and she shakily bent down to her knees, staring at the severed head before her.

"M-mast-ter…" Remi whimpered, putting both hands to her mouth to prevent an utter scream of terror. Kaecilius only stared at the frightened young woman, but looked from side to side at his followers and signaled two of them forward. A young man and woman stepped from behind him towards Remi, who was busy staring at the grizzly sight in front of her to notice them. Once her head darted up, two sets of strong arms wrapped themselves around hers, pulling her to her feet. Remi struggled in their grasp to free herself, kicking her feet and wriggling herself to try and escape, but it was no good. The two students lead her over towards Kaecilius, stopping in front of him with the frightened young woman.

"Once the Ancient One realizes what you are doing, there is no hope to save you!" Remi warned him, her amber eyes filled with hatred and anger. She groaned when she felt a strong hand roughly grab her chin and pull her towards his face, Kaecilius smirking evilly.

"I would think so, but enough petty nonsense. It is time for you to come home, Remi Ramirez," Kaecilius told her. Remi gasped as the two students pushed her towards Kaecilius, who wrapped his strong arms around her. Remi screamed for him to let go, but his grip was too strong for her to run away from. Before Kaecilius could make his exit, a strong, feminine voice echoed through the air.

"Master Kaecilius," he turned towards his left and saw a woman with an orange hood draped over her head. "That ritual will bring you only sorrow."

"Master!" Remi groaned as Kaecilius's gripped tightened around her. Kaecilius watched as the Ancient One walked towards him in a dangerous manner ready to fight, but looking at his followers, he signaled them to head for the door of one of the sanctums. Kaecilius lead them out of the library towards the sanctum that lead to New York City, his students following him like soldiers. The Ancient One watched as he escaped, Remi towing right beside him. Her eyes widening, she knew there was another way to prevent them from escaping.

Looking around, Kaecilius ran down one street, leading his students through a crowd of confused, wandering eyes. Remi was forced to tag along, digging her heels in the ground to try and slow them down. Kaecilius knew what she was up to and jerked her forward each time. As they crossed the street, Kaecilius came to a sudden halt, pulling Remi forward with him. He could see a crack in the scenery beginning to form around him and his followers, and before they knew it, they were surrounded by a glass-like structure. Angrily turning around, he saw the Ancient One behind them.

"Hypocrite!" he snapped. Remi smiled with relief when she saw she was there, but Kaecilius was less than thrilled. Eyes darting from her towards the Ancient One, he realized he had no choice. He tossed Remi aside and began to fight with the Ancient One.

"Remi, come!" The Ancient One commanded. She did not have to say otherwise as Remi got to her feet and ran beside her, ready to fight just as much as she was.

"Once she is dead, bring her back alive," Kaecilius motioned towards Remi, and his followers began to run at her.

The Ancient One rose her hands and the scenery began to tilt, causing them to jump in the air onto the buildings above, Remi got into a fighting stance ready to take them head on, but the Ancient One held out a hand in front of her, giving her a look from underneath her hood that read _"Go back to Kamar-Taj. They are already after you, let me handle them."_ Nodding her head in understanding, she unhooked a small ring from her belt and began a circular motion with two fingers, an orange portal in front of her opening.

Two of the followers noticed Remi escaping and tried to go after her, but the Ancient One wrapped two giant orange whips around their throats and tossed them in the air. Remi watched her continue to fight Kaecilius and his followers before jumping into the portal to safety.

* * *

To Be Continued…

Well, here it is, the first chapter of my new Doctor Strange story! Please pardon my writing, I know it's not all that great, but the writing juices are flowing once again and I could not help myself. I am still working on it, so chapters may not be up right away, but in order for a story to be just right, planning is always a must. :)

See ya for the first, official chapter! :D


	2. Chapter 1

Changing Hearts

Chapter 1

 **Present Day...**

Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange lay slumping against the door despondent as he had reached his destination of Kathmandu. Nepal, having spent his last pennies after his hands were permanently damaged and scarred in a terrible car crash on his way to talk to at an American Neurological Association (ANA) dinner that would sure have been the highlight of his night. Yet, the night had taken a terrible turn and now he found himself in a desolate, huge city in another country, homeless and heartbroken. A few eyes turned his way, but they did not see the once successful neurosurgeon he was, just a homeless man with a sack of things tossed against the door. They continued to walk on without giving him a second glance. Stephen looked around at the hustle and bustle of the city and began to feel even more hopeless.

It had been five hours since he had spoken to the Ancient One, a bald woman dressed in fine white robes, who had shown him this colorful, kaleidoscope-like world filled with colors that could have left him with severe shock and trauma, but surprisingly, it had no effect on him. When his request for her to teach him the Mystic Arts had been denied, two strong men wearing red oriented robes like hers had grabbed him by the arms and tossed him out the door, throwing his sack of things towards him like garbage. He had banged, kicked, and screamed at the top of his lungs at the door to let him back in, but the Ancient One never came back to answer his pleas.

"Don't shut me out," he said to himself, a solemn and heartbreaking look spread across his facial features. "I spent my last dollar getting here. I have nowhere else to go."

Suddenly, about a second later, the door to Kamar-Taj suddenly burst open, sending Strange flying backwards into the building. Stephen groaned as he felt himself tumbled over, his knees over his head and his back straight in the air. "Thank you."

Back inside Kamar-Taj, a man with dark skin and black hair around Stephen's age came plodding towards him. He wore the same looking oriented robes, but this time they were a green color. He stopped right in front of him and his look turned from concern into amusement. His deep enticing brown eyes stared at Stephen's funky looking position and he chuckled in front of him. Stephen was less amused and quickly got to his feet.

"Took you long enough," he sneered.

"You should be thankful the Ancient One has changed her mind, though it took me to convince her. She has agreed that you will start your training in two days' time. In the meantime, I will show you to your room," the man instructed Strange to follow him as a random man handed him his backpack. Stephen grabbed it and followed him down a long hallway.

As Stephen followed the man, Karl Mordo he remembered was his name, he looked around himself. He saw various people dressed in oriented robes of random colors, some grey, dark red, navy blue and black. Some shot up from the books they were reading and stared at the passing Mordo and Stephen, observing them intently but only for a mere moment before going back to their studies. Stephen looked at them confusingly before Mordo suddenly stopped in front of him, causing the neurosurgeon to bump into his back.

"I see the Sorcerer Supreme has decided to let the _dog_ in," a woman's voice interrupted the silence. Stephen stepped from behind Mordo and noticed the young woman.

"Remi, please be kind. He is going to be one of the new students here in a short time," Mordo scolded her.

Stephen eyed the girl with narrowed eyes. He noticed she was of Hispanic origin, medium-length black hair tied behind her shoulders up in a high bun, ringlets framing both sides of her circular face. Her skin tone was a dark tan color, and her thin eyebrows matched her hair color. She was wearing simpler robes than the others around them, a sleeveless dark sangria color with matching colored pants. She had on grey sandals, ropes tied over ankles all the way around her knees. Stephen could see orange leather arm guards tied around her forearms. What really distinguished her from the others was her eyes. They were a light amber color surrounded by a golden tint, eyes that could burn right through your soul into your very heart.

"Excuse me, but what are you staring at?" Stephen caught a Spanish accent. He was at a loss for words but Mordo stepped in.

"Stephen Strange, this is one of our students, Remi Ramirez. Remi, this is Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange. He comes from New York City," Mordo introduced the doctor.

"A pleasure to meet you," Stephen disregarded his disrespectful attitude and held out his hand for her to shake. Remi just stared down at it, unamused and uninterested.

"I hope the Ancient One has mercy on your soul, because for arrogant trash like you, she will not go easy," Remi warned Stephen in a dangerous matter. With those words, she strolled passed Mordo and Stephen, who stared at her with bewildered and surprised looks on their faces.

"What's her problem?" Stephen turned to Mordo, immediately turned off by the rude woman.

"She is usually never like this, but do not worry about her. Remi…she's going through some things right now," Mordo tried to find the right words, but even he himself was having a difficult time explaining a woman like Remi Ramirez.

"I hope it's anger management classes, because her attitude sucks," Stephen took note that the next time he met this Remi Ramirez, he would be giving her the cold shoulder.

* * *

"Why did you have to invite _him_ into Kamar-Taj?!" Remi snapped at the Ancient One, who sat on a folded blanket surrounded by candles in her private chambers. After she had been informed of the arrogant doctor's arrival, she was displeased that someone so disrespectful and vain was going to be allowed into Kamar-Taj. The last thing the Ancient One needed was someone who was just like Kaecilius running on her shoulders. The Ancient One was a woman of knowledge and stance, someone who deserved respect and full attention. They way Doctor Stephen Strange had presented himself to her was something that made her blood boil. The Ancient One looked up at her from her meditation session and rose to her feet.

"I know you are not pleased with this new student's arrival, but I believe I can bend Doctor Strange into someone he truly is," she assured her.

"But he disrespected you, right in front of Mordo and Master Hamir! Someone like him has no place in Kamar-Taj," Remi sneered.

"Everyone has a place at Kamar-Taj, arrogant or not. Remember Remi, not everyone can be gentle and sweet as you," the Ancient One smiled at her.

"I did not come off that way to our new guest. Something tells me we should just throw him back into the street where he belongs," Remi crossed her arms.

The Ancient One should have been surprised by her attitude towards Stephen Strange, but she only looked at her with a sympathetic look. She partly understood why she was acting this way, but at the same time, a Sorcerer Supreme knew better than to judge a character by first looks. Blowing out the candles around her, she walked towards Remi and gave her a pat on the shoulder, reminding her that she needed to remember her place and not come off so brash.

"You've been by my side for a long time, yet you are still learning like the rest of them. Be patient Remi, do not judge Stephen Strange because of his background."

Remi stayed silent but nodded her head. The Ancient One smiled at her again before walking passed her out of her chambers. Alone in the Sorcerer Supreme's room, she stared around her. She had a vast collection of books that even a master student had a hard time deciphering. She had always thought of her as a mother, as she had always looked after her ever since _it_ happened. Looking down at the blanket the Ancient One sat upon, she walked towards it and took a seat herself, crossing her legs. Perhaps a young woman like her needed some meditation after all. Making two circles with her thumb and forefinger, she began to pray aloud. _Please let me have more patience and stamina, a better understanding of others…_

* * *

Kaecilius opened his eyes as he stared at the pages in front of him on the podium. He read the pages repeatedly each day, practicing the magic of Dormammu until he could decipher the ritual's meanings. However, it was the same outcome, he would always come to a paragraph he had a hard time understanding. Balling his hands into tight fists, he screamed in anger and kicked the podium hard, sending it toppling with the two pages scattering. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes tightly.

"Master!" a voice interrupted him. His head turning, he saw his most devoted zealot, Lucian, come running towards him. "What is it, Lucian?" he inquired.

"Please sir, let me go after the girl for you. If we have her with us, we could get her to decipher the ritual so our plan will go along without delay!" Lucian proposed.

"No. I must do it myself. She may be able to do it herself, but she cannot muster the magic _I_ can. Once we are ready, then we will go after the girl," Kaecilius told him.

"But Master Kaecilius-" Lucian's words were cut off. Kaecilius ordered him to leave his sight, and Lucian dutifully obeyed. Turning his attention towards the podium, he bent down and stood it back in place, picking up the pages. Returning to his position, he started all over again.

* * *

Stephen Strange had gotten settled into his room rather quickly. His bedroom was quite nice and average size, a comfortable bed set along the wall with a window overlooking the training grounds, a desk in the corner next to his bedroom door with a single chair. His closet was to his left and he could see there were already garments and shoes placed neatly inside it. He quickly disrobed himself and dressed into a nice pair of comfortable pajamas. He sat his Microsoft Windows tablet on the desk and took off his watch, looking down at it and reading the encryption on the back of the silver metal.

 _Time will tell how much I love you. ~Christine_

A small sad smile crossing his lips, he set the watch on the windowsill and stared outside. He could see students training hard, performing various spells and orders being shouted by a teacher. He wondered when exactly he would start his training in two days, but he was never informed of the time and hour to meet. Lost in thought again, his mind went back to the young woman who had stopped him and Mordo. For a young thing, he remembered the muscles in her arms stood out, meaning she was quite built for any fight that would be thrown at her. He got the impression that she was not the nicest on the block, but her looks made a lot of young male eyes wander their way over, his included.

 _Knock-knock!_ Stephen's mind snapped back into place when he heard his bedroom door slightly open. Turning around, he was shocked to discover the face of the young woman herself striding in as if she had forgotten their meeting earlier in the day. Instead of the sangria robes she had on, she had on a white night gown and matching slippers, her hair down and fanned out. Her amber eyes followed his as she walked inside. She informed him that she was only dropping off a few things for him.

Stephen looked down at the contents she had brought. A simple towel, a tube of toothpaste, and a plain old toothbrush, along with some supplies used to bath one's self. She walked to the right side of his bed and sat it all down before she excused herself and made to leave.

"Hey, wait," Stephen stopped her from leaving. Remi turned her head and met his eyes once more. "You know, your attitude was not the nicest when we met. What's with this abrasive, rudeness?"

"Excuse me?" Remi shot him the same nasty look. "I only came to drop some things off the Ancient One told me to bring you. I have no interest in conversation."

"You owe me an apology," Stephen snapped.

"I owe you nothing, Stephen Vincent Strange. You may have earned Mordo and the Sorcerer Supreme's respect, but I am not so easily moved. Even though it is your first night, I can read you like a book! If you get any funny ideas of disrespecting my master's rules, then I will not hesitate to strike you down and kick you to the curb just like she did. Now goodnight, Mr. Strange!"

"It's Doctor, _Doctor Strange_!" Stephen angrily corrected. Remi rolled her eyes and harrumphed, slamming the door behind her, causing the lights hanging from the walls to rattle. Stephen could hear her footsteps echoing down the hallway until only silence remained. Looking down at the ground, he walked towards his bed and saw the stuff she had dropped off for him. Scoffing, he shoved it all onto the floor and tucked himself in, pulling the covers over himself and turning off the lights.

* * *

To Be Continued

Here it is, chapter one is complete! I had so much fun writing Stephen and Remi's first meeting that I forgot to track my word count. I hope you all like it!

And on another note, _please please_ leave reviews. I would love for new readers and the ones who favored and followed this story so far to leave a few words. If you all loved it, did not like or it could use some work, please let me know! I'm open to all suggestions of every kind.

Thank you for your time and see ya next chapter! :)


	3. Chapter 2

Changing Hearts

Chapter 2

It was a very quiet night in Kamar-Taj. The nighttime training had stopped and all the students had departed to their respected chambers to start again tomorrow morning. The moon hung brightly lit in the sky and stars danced around it in a circular motion. The sky gave of a dark, greenish blue hue, something very odd for nights in Kathmandu, Nepal. However, in the silence of the night, one angry young woman was still awake. Stomping down the hallway, Remi turned a corner and stopped right in front of her chambers, slamming the door behind her and locking it tightly.

Looking around her room she strode towards her bed. Remi ran a hand through her messy black hair and sat down on her bed. She took a moment to calm herself down by taking labored small breaths and stretching her arms over her head with her hands folded together, repeating this motion until she felt the negative chakras running through her body evaporate until she felt an aura of calm takeover. Once she was satisfied, she swung her legs over the mattress and pulled the sheets over herself. She reached for the lights switch above her head but as she was about to flick the lights off, something on the desk to her right caught her attention.

A small picture frame lay next to a small bright desk lamp. Remi reached one hand over and picked up the portrait. A smiling little girl with the same facial features was standing next to an older woman with long silvery white hair, a wide gummy smile spread across her face as well. Remi stared at the picture with sad light amber eyes. Hugging the picture, she began to say a small prayer.

" _Grandmother, please let your spirit watch over me. I do not know how to control this darkness in me…"_ she spoke in her native language. Once she was finished, she looked at the picture. Tears began to brim in the corners of her eyes as she started to remember the events that occurred the days before she had arrived at Kamar-Taj. Shaking her head, she tossed the thoughts aside and placed the picture back on her desk before turning out the lights. All she needed to do now was sleep and pray that tomorrow morning would go a lot smoother than today.

Once the morning light hit, almost immediately the students awoke from their slumber. They crowded the hallways of Kamar-Taj, heading out to get themselves ready for another day of training. Remi awoke around the same time as they did, and got dressed. Tying her hair back into a thick high bun, she stepped out into the hallway and looked around, almost the students in her corridor were out and she followed right behind them, but she stopped in her tracks when she heard a sound that was brought to her attention. Stopping in front of one of the bedroom doors, she saw it was cracked open a bit. She could see in the slim opening part of the bedroom. Looking towards her, the other students paid no attention and they vanished from sight.

Remi looked at the bedroom door once more. Starting to grow concerned, she knew that the Ancient One did not like late beginners and always reprimanded students who were late for training sessions. She opened the bedroom door and went to awake the late morning riser, but stopped dead in her track when she saw it was _his_ bedroom that she walked into. Stephen Strange was sprawled out snoring loudly, hugging a pillow underneath him and covers spread everywhere. She eyed him curiously and noticed the supplies she had dropped off last night tossed onto the floor. Looking at him, she gathered them up and placed them neatly onto the dresser across from his bed. A sleepy moan escaped Stephen's lips that caused her to turn back around, but she scoffed when she saw he was still fast asleep.

"Christine…" Stephen groaned. "I'm sorry, please forgive me for shutting you out."

Remi froze when she heard him talking. Who was Christine and what did he mean by he shut her out? Remi decided to step closer to his bedside to figure out just what was going on with this neurosurgeon. Quietly trotting towards his sleeping frame, she leaned in to listen better. She could see Stephen's chest lightly heave up and down with each breath he inhaled, and his mouth hung open to let air in. He still had his scraggily light brown beard and his hair was a total atrocity, sticking up in all ends and curling randomly in certain spots. From what she could see, he still looked like a homeless man who had just felt like he was in heaven when he laid on a real bed for the first time. Technically, she thought to herself, he was a homeless man who had just lost everything in the world he came to work hard for.

"Christine?" Stephen suddenly asked. Remi watched as his body started to shake. "Christine? Christine!" he repeated suddenly. Remi yelped and shot up when his body reared upward, and before she could make a run for it, his right arm shot up and his hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her forward. Remi tripped forward and landed right on top of Stephen, who laid back down and pulled her top of him. He let go of her shoulders and his hand slid down to her elbows, gripping them tightly. Remi felt incredibly embarrassed to be on top of him.

"Christine, thank you for forgiving me," a smile spread across the doctor's face and he began to wrap his arms around Remi's body, pulling her even closer to him and his face leaned in closer.

"What in the actual hell?!" Remi reared back and her eyes began to grow angry. She rose her hand and swiped it across Stephen's face, a good _thwack_ echoing through the entire bedroom and down the hall. Some students who were heading to the training grounds stopped to listen, growing confused and looking around.

Stephen's blue eye shot open and he felt a searing pain spread throughout his cheek. His eyes darted around the room and much to his horror, he had a very angry young woman straddling his hips. Growing horrified, he immediately shot up, causing her to drop off him and onto the floor.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he shouted at Remi.

"Me?! What are _you_ doing?!" Remi snapped right back. "Do you _like_ to accost women while you are asleep?! How dare you put your hands on me!" she walked right back towards him and before Stephen could say anything, she gave him another good slap across the opposite side of his face. Stephen grunted and this was hard enough to send him sprawling off the bed and onto the floor with her. Remi balled a hand into a fist and walked right towards him, grabbing a bewildered Stephen by his throat and holding him in the air. Stephen gasped for air when he felt her hand around his throat lift him in the air. Instincts kicking in, he grabbed Remi's free arm with both hands and jerked her forward, making her gasp and drop him. She tried to retaliate but the doctor in one swift motion pinned her to the carpet, him atop of her.

Remi was taken aback by how strong he was. Stephen looked at her with raging eyes and gritted teeth. However, he made no move to injure her. Suddenly, his facial features softened and before both knew it, they were just staring at each other, a doctor atop of a bewildered Kamar-Taj student. Suddenly, both of their heads shot towards the door as it burst open, Karl Mordo and the Ancient One stepping in.

"What in the name of Mahal is going…on?" Mordo stopped in his tracks along with the Ancient One when they saw the position they both had caught them in. Remi and Stephen's faces grew bright red and they shuffled their weight, Stephen dropping off Remi as both quickly rose to their feet. The Ancient One cleared her throat and walked in front of Mordo.

"I have received word of a disturbance coming from your bedroom, Mr. Strange. Now I see what was happening," the Ancient One shot Remi a glance of disappointment, causing her to straighten her posture.

"What? No! Nothing happened between us," Stephen interjected. "She was only trying to-I was just-it, it was my fault."

"It does not matter who is at fault. You are both late for your lesson, now please, for the love of God, get out now!" Mordo ordered sternly. However, Stephen looked down and saw he was still in his pajamas. Excusing himself, he closed the door behind him as Remi exited the bedroom with Mordo and the Ancient One, quickly putting on random robes and a pair of boots. Waiting outside for Stephen to get ready, Remi turned and saw Mordo and the Sorcerer Supreme giving her disapproving looks.

"I am very disappointed in you, Remi. I thought I knew you to be a mature young woman," Mordo scolded.

"Me?! Stephen's the one straddling me!" Remi accused like a six-year-old.

"Enough of this, the both of you! We are late for today," the Ancient One ordered, a hint of anger in her voice. Remi's glare disappeared and she shrunk back. It looks like this day was going to be worse than yesterday, she realized.

* * *

Stephen walked outside onto the training grounds, a look of malice spread across his face. He was forced to join the training group with two good hand-sized bruises across his cheeks. He could not even believe a girl like Remi's size could even be that strong. She was only a foot shorter than him, but boy her strength was already proven to be a forced not to be reckoned with. The students surrounding him stared at his face with confused expressions but they were ordered to get back to their training lessons by Karl Mordo. Stephen looked around and he was ordered to join the last empty spot between two female students.

" _This is going to be great,"_ he thought to himself.

"It looks like you are training with me today," a voice suddenly tore him from his thoughts. Turning around, he saw it was none other than the face of the devil herself. He could see her wrapping white bandages around the palms of her hands, tightening the same orange leather armguards he had seen on her arms yesterday. She wore different robes this time, instead of sangria they were a bright yellow and navy blue that somehow coordinated nicely together. He looked down and saw she had on the same roped up sandals around her knees and ankles. Even though she was a pain in the butt to deal with, he could tell she had the face of a hardworking, no nonsense person.

"Your face looks like it has seen better days," Remi commented the bruises with a victorious smirk.

"Because you slapped me _twice,"_ Stephen held two fingers up to her face.

"Well you tried to kiss me in a surprise sleep attack, but…I will admit, I do believe I could've handled myself better," Remi eyed him with a slightly sympathetic look but her eyes immediately narrowed and she got into a fighting stance.

"Kiss you?! What on Earth…" Stephen was at another loss of words.

"I went to wake you up for breakfast, but I overheard you talking in your sleep about someone named 'Christine', and before I knew it, I was on top of you and you had your lips puckered out and everything!" Remi waved her hand in front of her face and gestured towards her own mouth.

Stephen's face grew bright red but he stayed silent. He did remember a wonderful dream he and his ex-girlfriend, Christine Palmer, a surgeon he worked with back at the Metro General Hospital. He remembered her opening his arms out wide for her, a smile spread across her beautiful face calling his name and telling him she loved him. He ran towards her and she caught him, smiling into his light blue eyes. He told her he loved her but before he could kiss her, he was awoken with a hard slap across the face.

"Hello, Earth to Mr. Strange!" Remi snapped. Stephen blinked twice and turned his head towards her. "Get into fighting stance. You're about to see just how much you don't know about the Mystical Arts."

Stephen eyed Remi suspiciously but did as he was told. He halfway bent his elbows upward and made two fists, jumping back and forth using one leg at a time. Remi eyed him with amusement but she immediately ran after him with arms stretched out behind her back. Stephen was caught off guard by how fast she was, barely even being able to dodge a single punch that was coming straight for his right cheek, He stepped to the side and caught her leg with his foot, making her fall to the ground flat on her face. Remi shot her head up in shock and shot the doctor an angry glance before she kicked her knees in the air over her head and landed facing away from him back on her feet.

Stephen eyed her movements with his jaw wide open. Turning around, Remi looked at him with a glare and ran straight for him, Stephen got ready and ran just right after her the same way. Before they knew it, both had begun to clash, with Remi doing most of the hitting and Mr. Strange doing the dodging. Remi kicked at his face and stomach, backflipping behind him and catching herself on her hands, trying to kick at him with both her legs so she could push him forward onto the ground. However, it seemed like every time she had tried to attack him, Stephen was aware of her sudden change of stance and did everything in his power to avoid her moves.

"Why aren't you fighting me?!" she asked as she continued to strike at the doctor. "Show me your strength!"

"What kind of strength?! Right now, I'm trying to prevent a crazy lady from killing me!" Stephen sneered.

"It's part of training! For one to be ready to learn magic, one must be ready to fight!" Remi breathlessly reminded him. Stephen stopped for a moment to let the words sink in, but before he could get ready, Remi front flipped towards him with her arm winded out, her fist making contact underneath his chin. Stephen was sent skidding on the ground and hit a brick pillar. Remi stopped her fighting and walked towards the slumped over doctor.

"Why did you not attack me? Do you know how to fight?" Remi put one hand on her hip while breathing heavily.

"Apparently not," Stephen groaned as he got to his feet.

"Before you can learn magic, Stephen Strange, you must be ready to defend yourself. In Kamar-Taj, we do not learn the stereotypical magic where you mysteriously pull a rabbit out of a big top hat or you saw your partner in half while she is strapped in a large metal box. You learn magic where at one point, you will be ready to face your demons."

"I guess it's hard when you're a new student just starting out, huh?" Stephen rubbed his sore neck from her strong punch.

"You must be ready for a situation there is no turning your back on. I will not remind you again," Remi chastised him before turning her back and walking away.

"But you didn't train me, you kicked me around like a ragdoll!" Stephen protested. Remi stopped walking and turned her head only slightly to meet his angry gaze.

"I am a master student, not your elementary school teacher, Mr. Strange. This is not New York City, _this_ is Kamar-Taj. Here your position as a respected doctor means nothing."

Stephen wanted to say something, but Remi turned on her heel and walked away, leaving the confused doctor to fend for himself as students around him continued to train, paying him no mind.

* * *

In the library, Remi sat down at one of the tables, reading a book with a focused look in her golden amber eyes. She observed the foreign language written, reading aloud barely above a whisper so no one could possibly hear her. She sighed and continued to flip through the pages while eyeing the words carefully and precisely. After everything that had transpired, she did not bother to train Stephen anymore for the rest of the day, instead instructing Mordo to look after the "dog" as she put him. After all, why would one such as herself train someone who would turn out to be a waste of time in the future?

"Miss Ramirez!" a voice startled her. Shooting from her seat, she saw the glare of the new Kamar-Taj library's guardian, Master Wong. He was a Chinese man with a bald head and wore the same sangria colored robes, a stern look in his dark colored eyes that could even sent a chill running down her spine. Wong eyed her with disapproval before walking towards the book she was reading and closed it.

"You are supposed to be training with the others, why are you here?" Wong inquired as he returned the book to its rightful shelf.

"Because I needed a break," Remi lied, though she shook her head at her own words.

"The Ancient One does not like laziness, Miss Ramirez. Even though you are a master student, do not think you can slack off and venture around Kamar-Taj whenever you please! You are representing a whole new generation that will defend our world from mystical threats, so do your part and listen to orders!"

Remi scoffed and looked down at the ground with a solemn look. She did not like it when Wong scolded her for only coming into the library to read, but she understood his point. Turning on his heel, he instructed her once more to leave before he felt compelled to inform the Sorcerer Supreme of her presence in the library. With those words, Remi quickly bolted out and Wong left to continue his priorities of making sure the library was in order.

* * *

Stephen decided to retreat to his quarters early once night settled in. The first day of training was not easy and Mordo kicked his butt like a chained dog, dodging moves and blows to his body as best as he could. He wished that he had more time to rest and ready himself, but he knew he would not be getting his way anytime soon. This is not Metro General Hospital, he told himself, this is Kamar-Taj. Stretching out his aching muscles, he noticed the dresser. The supplies that Remi had left him was neatly collected and sat on his dresser.

" _What is her deal?"_ he thought. _"She acts like a mad dog around me, and she barely even knows me! I wonder what I did to deserve her cruelty. Or maybe…is she treating me this way for a reason?"_

His mind was interrupted when he heard a small knock on the door. Turning around, he saw it open and once again, Remi appeared before him. Stopping in her tracks, she eyed the doctor for only a moment before closing the door behind her. "I came to uh…drop these off."

Stephen noticed she had a couple of ice packs in her hands. When he met her gaze again, she averted his eyes. Stephen could have sworn he saw a look of guilt in those enticing eyes of hers, but she cleared her throat and walked towards him, holding her arms out and waiting for him to take his dew so she could get out.

"Uh…thank you," Stephen took the ice packs and sat them to the side. Nodding her head, Remi turned to leave, but Stephen cleared his throat. "Look I…I know we haven't gotten off to a good start, but…but I still don't understand why you are being so callous towards me."

Remi listened to him and inhaled through her nose. "When I was informed of your arrival, I did not like the idea of an arrogant doctor coming into a place of such knowledge. Now I realize…I realize I should've handled myself differently."

Stephen listened to her words.

"I will admit, I cannot stand the sight of you, but I do hope that…we can tolerate each other to a certain level. We pay no attention to one another unless we are training or you are under my tutelage."

The doctor eyed him with his mouth agape, but he knew she was serious. They stood there for some time before Stephen nodded his head, hearing her words loud and clear. Remi cleared her throat and retreated from the bedroom, closing the door behind her instead of slamming it.

* * *

To Be Continued…

Whew! Five pages, over three thousand words, and another chapter has been completed! Don't forget to leave reviews. If you all liked it, did not like it or if it could use some work, do not hesitate to notify me. I take your words to heart! :)

See ya next chapter! :)


	4. Chapter 3

Changing Hearts

Chapter 3

The sound of Kaecilius's footsteps echoed through the hallway as he made his way towards the grand organ. Ever since him and his remaining groups have escaped the Ancient One's fury, their hideout was in a large cathedral filled with religious images depicted of the Virgin Mary and Jesus on ceramic glass surrounding the walls and windows. Lucian, his most devoted follower and self-called "worshipper", was eager to bring Remi back to their hideout so they could get started on their plans to bring the Dark Dimension to Earth but Kaecilius refused, reminding him that all good things come in time.

Kaecilius opened a secret door behind the grand organ of the cathedral, looking around to make sure none of the zealots were there to see what was going on. Once he knew he was in the clear, he closed the door behind him and the organ slid back in place as if nothing had happened.

Looking around, Kaecilius rose his hands to his head and did a flicking motion, torches starting to align the walls in one swift whip of his fingers. He looked around and saw what kind of hallway he was on. He was in a dungeon of sorts, around ten or so cells perfectly lined in straight rows. They were huge and made of strong black metal bars that even with the strongest of kick, the bars would not budge from the bolts in the walls. Walking down the row of cells, his head turned from right to left until he came to the second to last cell in the left row. A smirk spread across his face once he saw the person sitting in the cell.

"So…you have awoken."

Sitting chained like a dog was an elderly woman with long silver white hair draped over her shoulders tied into a messy half bun atop her head. A single torch in her cell providing the only source of light, Kaecilius observed her intently. Two big grey heavy metal chains were around both her wrists, clanking when she moved her arms around or shook her hands. She was wearing old looking clothes, a dirty pink shirt with stains and holes, old grey pants that were ripped up to her knees, and her feet were bare and covered in dirt and suit. Her head hung low to the ground, not even bothering to give her captor a single glance above.

"Did you sleep well, Isadora?" Kaecilius asked. The old woman stayed silent.

"You will acknowledge my presence, or you will suffer consequences," Kaecilius reminded her dangerously.

"I should've suffered from your hands ages ago," Isadora's voice finally spoke in a thick Spanish accent. Kaecilius looked at her unamused and folded his hands behind his back. "But somehow, my faith prevents you from doing so. Why, Kaecilius, did you keep me alive? I accept fate because I know where I will go when I die."

Kaecilius chuckled and Isadora stayed silent. "Why would I kill you? You are too important right now. Perhaps, when our true Lord and Savior is ready to take over the world, then maybe your time will come to an end."

Isadora's head shot up and eyed him with horror. "I cannot believe you are still hellbent on revenge. You were such a good man, filled with devotion and faith towards the Sorcerer Supreme, yet you still gave into your demons despite what she had taught you. Your wife and son would hate the man you have become."

This caused a nerve to break in Kaecilius's bloodstream. His smile fading, he quickly waved one hand in front of his face, causing Isadora to rise to her feet and float towards the bars of her prison cell. Isadora gasped as Kaecilius reached his hand through the bars and grabbed her by the throat, his eyes narrowed and gritting his teeth. Isadora could tell, for the first time, this man was not the one she had come to care for as her own son she never had. It scared her to her core. Her pale, dark amber eyes widened as Kaecilius's grip tightened around her throat, causing her breath to rasp and her windpipe to swell up.

"If you ever mention them again, you will find yourself meeting your Gods sooner than you want!" Kaecilius growled as he slammed her against the bars. Isadora cried out as the metal chains around her arms clanked loudly, the chains tugging at her painfully. After a few minutes, Kaecilius calmed down and released her, causing her to drop to her feet with a loud grunt. Isadora wrapped both her hands around her throat and began to hack and cough to the point where she felt she was going to vomit out her entire insides. Her breath began to grow heavy as she looked at him with hatred-filled eyes.

"The time is coming closer than you think. I am so close to deciphering the rituals! I will be ready for his return," Kaecilius turned his back towards the elderly woman. "Once it is completed…your granddaughter will be mine."

Isadora's eyes widened and she got back to her feet, running towards the bars and gripping them tightly. "You stay away from my Remi! If you put your hands on her, I will pray to God for forgiveness as I kill you _myself_!"

Kaecilius's laughter echoed through the hallway. Isadora shot him a hateful glare as he turned towards her. "I would love to see you stop me, but you are wasting your time. Once Remi is in my hands, you will be the first to witness her _transformation_."

Isadora's glare turned from one to panic as she started to whimper, backing from him and slinking to her knees. Tears formed in the old woman's eyes as she began to sob, clutching her heart tightly with both hands. Kaecilius realized this was the best time to depart, deciding to leave her in her miserable state as she had a lot to take in. Turning on his heel, he said he will be looking forward to their next meeting, and when they do, he will make sure to bring Remi as he could not wait to see the look on her face when she realized her beloved grandmother was still alive after all this time. Isadora looked up and watched him leave, the lights of the torches going out as she heard the prison door close behind him.

Isadora folded her hands together and got to her knees, closing her eyes tightly. "Mi amore, please hear my prayers. I love you so much and forgive me for being unable to protect you." Tears formed in her eyes as sobs wrecked through her whole body.

* * *

To Be Continued

Sorry this chapter is short, but I felt it was important to get up! I bet you all thought her grandmother was dead, but nope! I say she has a strong spiritual connection with her, but she believes her angel is watching over her. :)

 _Please_ do not forget to leave your reviews. If you think I am rushing this story, believe that it is going well, or if it's just plain awesome or terrible let me know! I take your words to heart. :)

See ya next chapter! :)


	5. Chapter 4

Changing Hearts

Chapter 4

It was late in the day when raining finished for half of the students in Kamar-Taj. Flinging a towel over her neck, Remi said goodbye to three students she was talking to and made her way towards the building, but not before she stopped to take in the sounds of grunting and panting. Turning her head to the side, she saw Stephen Strange training with Karl Mordo, who was instructing him to perfect his movements on how to form a perfect Eldritch Whip, and from the look of frustration crossing his face, she could tell he was having a lot of trouble. She stopped and stared at the duo for a minute or two. To her own surprise, a small smile spread across her lips. She honestly felt a little bad for the cocky neurosurgeon as he was not entirely getting the magic as quick as he wanted himself to, but like all good sorcerers and sorceresses, she reminded him and herself, good things come in time.

"This isn't working!" Stephen complained to Mordo.

"Because you are not letting yourself surrender to its power! You mustn't let yourself get frustrated easily, Doctor Strange. You have to release the negative energy and let nature take its course!"

"That's easy to say coming from someone who has been here longer than I have!" Stephen snapped. Sighing in frustration, he decided it was best to end the day of training. When questioned by Mordo on where he was heading off to, Stephen told him he needed a break from today to clear his head that was filled with stress. Remi watched as he walked passed him towards the doors, unknowingly passing her presence as he was too angry to acknowledge her. Glancing at Mordo, who happened to notice her standing there, she nodded her head and turned towards where Stephen was walking.

"It sounds like you are having trouble getting a simple Eldritch Whip down," Remi spooked Stephen, causing him to stop and turned towards her.

"Oh, it's just you," the doctor sounded unsurprised. "What happened to the whole "we are nothing but strangers" talk?"

"As I told you, when we are training, we may acknowledge one another. Mordo is right, Stephen. You cannot force magic to bend to your will, you must surrender to it."

"I don't have time for this," Stephen snapped as he started to walk away from her. However, Remi jogged towards him and kept up with his pace. "Ignore me all you want, but you know I am right! Even if you are too stubborn to realize it, you need to let your ego go for once and _listen_."

Stephen just kept on walking but waved a dismissive hand above his head as he disappeared into the large red doors. Remi stood there and shook her head as Mordo joined her mere moments later. They looked at each other with disappointed looks and headed into Kamar-Taj together. Even if the arrogant doctor did not understand, sooner or later, he would need to let himself go and surrender to the Ancient One's teaching or else, he would never be able to heal his hands.

* * *

Remi let out a loud yawn and stretched her arms above her head, untying the usual high bun she tied her hair in and let it flow over her shoulders. She stripped down and dug through her drawers until she found a comfortable pair of pants and a shirt, dressing herself in the brown and white garments. Sliding her slippers off her feet, she walked over to her bead and swung her legs across the mattress, pulling the covers over herself until she was comfortably settled in for the night. She took a random book that was to her left on the desk where the picture of her grandmother was and opened it halfway through.

As a young child, Remi had a deep love for books. Her grandmother would always get annoyed with her constant reading and would usher her outside on a beautiful sunny day, but even with the skies a magnificent blue and the sun shining brightly, her eyes were always indulged in a book. Soon her grandmother flung her hands up in surrender and let the young girl read to her hearts content, something she could live with for the rest of her life. Her eyes never drifting away from the pages, Remi continued to read.

* * *

 _Remi laughed as she kicked her legs back and forth against the couch, both hands clutching the hard-covered novel she held onto. She read each sentence aloud and her giggles echoed through the house as she read each word detail by detail and letter for letter. However, her laughter did not go unnoticed. A young woman, in her late twenties to early thirties, strode into the living room where Remi was reading. She was a beautiful thing, long black hair flowing down her back in curls, soft colored amber eyes never darting away from her daughter. A smile graced her lips as she wiped a dish she was drying from the sink._

" _My dear," the woman made Remi look up from her book for only a second. "You are laughing really loud. What are you reading that is so funny?"_

" _Mamá," Remi smiled eagerly and showed her the book she was reading, "I found this in one of abuelita's old storage bins! She told me I could have it. It's got a bunch of funny words in it, such as the uh, Val-ting Boots of Vall-tor and Ell-rich magic!" Remi had to sound out the two words but laughed at their pronunciation._

 _However, Remi's mother's soft amber eyes suddenly turned angry and dark. The dish she had in her hands slipped from her fingers, the white ceramic crashing to the ground, sending sharp jagged pieces scattering across the living room floor. Remi gasped and stopped laughing, looking up from the book and staring at her mother's sudden angry gaze. Balling her hand into a fist, Remi's mother marched towards her and grabbed the book from her daughter's hands, causing Remi to protest. Remi's mother grabbed her daughter by the arm and dug her fingers into her forearm, causing the frightened little girl to cry out in pain. The woman held the book in front of her face and shoved it against her nose._

" _I told that woman not to give you these books!" she snapped as she shook Remi with a hard hand. "How many more did she give you?! ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!"_

" _Mommy, you're scaring me!" Remi cried, tears starting to form in her light golden amber eyes._

" _You know I did not your grandmother reading you these kinds of books! I did not want her teaching you those spells, but she follows her own agenda as always! Why for once, Remi, CAN YOU NOT LISTEN TO YOUR OWN DAMN MOTHER!"_

" _Mommy, stop it!" Remi begged now fully sobbing. Remi's mother growled and shoved her daughter aside, causing her to crash against the coffee table with a hard thud! The angry woman flipped through the pages, seeing various words that were related to random relics, certain spells, and magic manipulation. Her temper flaring, she started to rip the pages out in a fit of rage, sending them scattering across the living room until almost nothing remained but the cover of the book. Dropping it to the floor, she crushed it with one foot and repeated the same motion until it was nothing but a broken shell that was once filled with words of such wisdom. Remi watched in horror as her mother got to the ground and started to rip the now torn out pages until pieces of paper covered the living room floor. Rising to her feet, her mother looked around the living room then shot her daughter a killer glare._

" _If I ever see you reading these books again," she warned. "I will personally think of something much worse than a mere punishment for you, way, way worse! Now clean up this godforsaken mess before I just act on my word!"_

 _With that, a quivering Remi watched as her mother exited the living room and back into the kitchen. She swung the refrigerator door open until she pulled out a random can of beer and slammed it shut. She muttered something that she needed a nap and headed upstairs. Remi watched until her mother disappeared, hearing the loud slamming of her bedroom door followed by silence. Looking around, the frightened young girl saw the mess her mother had made. Broken ceramic, torn pages, and a hard-crumpled book cover scattered the floor. Sniffling, Remi got to her feet and picked up one of the pages her mother did not rip to shreds and flipped it over. She saw it was the pages she read aloud, the words "Vaulting Boots of Valtorr and Eldritch Magic" still intact._

" _Why does she have to be so mean?" Remi asked herself and hugged the page close to her chest, scared and sorrowful sobs shaking her entire body._

* * *

Remi gasped loudly and threw her book to the side. She began to pant and ran a hand across her forehead, feeling the heavy sweat that was pouring down her face. She threw the covers off her and got off the bed and walked towards the window, staring outside as the sun just started to stoop down behind the mountains, the early light of dusk just now coming to view. Remi sighed and placed a hand over her heart, feeling it beating rapidly and she could feel it palpitating against her chest. Ever since she was little, for some reasons, her mother had despised the idea of magic and had rejected the idea of it ever since her grandmother left Kamar-Taj to raise her own children.

Remi could never forget her mother's angry face. It was the face of the devil, and a usually composed hardworking woman such as herself was easily thrown off by her angry eyes. If her mother caught her looking through her grandmother's old magic books or even her grandmother herself showing her various spells, she would always drag her away and snap at her for not listening to her rules about magic being forbidden. Sometimes her anger reached a point to where she would physically slap Remi across the face or she would be pinned to the ground being forced to listen to her mother's shrill screams. Remi would have to cover her ears because her mother's voice was loud and terrifying.

"It feels like it happened just yesterday," she told herself. "She would be so proud of me, she just might kill me!"

Remi walked towards her bed and stared down at the book she had been reading. Picking it up, she flipped it over to the front cover and read the title. "The Book of The Rising Sun," something Wong had recommended to her she could practice the spells from and even read it in her free time as it was recommended by various students for being very informative as well as entertaining. Sighing, she placed the book back on her dresser and sat cross-legged on her bed. She put one hand to her face and pinched the bridge of the nose, her breaths becoming longer until she felt herself grow heavy with emotion. Tears started to form in her eyes and she began to cry until she had to hug herself to try and provide some sort of comfort to calm her down, but nothing came.

"I wish you were here, grandmother." Remi said tearfully. She continued to cry until she felt herself become sleepy, groggily throwing the covers over herself and her heavy eyes slid shut.

* * *

Isadora's eyes shot open with a gasp when she could her a female voice echo through her head. _"I wish you were here, grandmother."_ There was no denying it was her beloved granddaughter, she could make it out any day! The metal restraints around her wrists rattled as she rose her hands outward, uncurling her fingers until they lay flat in front of her face. Her long dirty fingernails clinched at the air, realizing it was indeed the voice of Remi. Isadora felt her heart grow heavy as she stretched out her legs and put her hands on her knees. It was as if her granddaughter was trying to reach for her, but deep down, she knew that in her heart, Remi believed her to have passed away. Why was Kaecilius torturing her old soul? If Remi thought of her dead, then she did not want him to continue to give her false hope.

"If only he had killed me when he had gotten the chance," Isadora lamented to herself, completely unaware of the footsteps coming from down the hall. "Then the love of my world would not have to suffer this terrible pain."

Kaecilius stopped once again in front of her cell. He watched Isadora fold her hands together and began to pray. "Please do not let him give my Remi false hope! If I am to die, then I accept whatever path you have chosen for me."

"Consider it done," Kaecilius's voice startled the old woman from her thoughts. "If you want me to kill you, then your prayers will be answered."

Isadora watched as Kaecilius walked towards the opposite end of the row of cells, grabbing a set of keys hanging from the wall. She could only stare as he put the very first key into the lock, the heavy metal door sliding open with him stepping inside. Isadora still sat, unmoving though eyes wide, as he came striding towards her. He bent down to his knees so he was on the same level, eyes never leaving the old woman's.

"No more suffering," Kaecilius told her. Isadora's breath hitched in her throat as Kaecilius rose to his feet, folding his hands in an outward motion. A huge Space Shard formed in front of her face and Kaecilius rose it above his head gripping it with both hands.

"Close your eyes. It will be over soon, Isadora." She did as she was told. Kaecilius's face tightened with emotion. Just as he was about to deliver the killing blow to the old woman, a sudden voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Master?!" it was Lucian. Kaecilius shot his head towards the bars, the shocked zealot staring at him with wide, confused eyes. "Master Kaecilius, what is the meaning of this?!"

"This is none of your concern, Lucian," Kaecilius tried to usher him away, but Lucian opened the cell door and walked inside, staring at Isadora. The old woman stared back but with no emotion at all. Lucian looked back at Kaecilius, who closed his eyes and the Time Shard disappeared from his grasp.

"Why is she here, master? What is an old woman doing in a cathedral?!" a horrified Lucian demanded.

"I am going to meet God." Isadora's hoarse voice caught him off guard. Kaecilius looked back from her to his apprentice and turned his back towards Isadora.

"Lucian, I will not tell you again," Kaecilius looked at him dangerously. "Leave immediately and do not mention anything that you have seen down here."

"My lord!" Lucian darted away from him and towards Isadora, snatching her left arm in his hand. She yelped as she was forcibly yanked to her feet, the metal chains echoing loudly through the cell. "How are you going to explain this to the others?! How are you going to get them to follow you _now_? You have gone too far!"

"Lucian-" Kaecilius's voice was cut off.

"I have devoted my life to you! How could you of all this? You told us we do not bother with mere sorcerers, but you…you were going to kill an innocent old woman!" Lucian eyed Isadora and his face contorted into one with horrified eyes. His lips quivered as he released Isadora from his grip, her slinking back to the ground as if she were nothing but a thin weight in his grasp. Lucian started to seethe and he balled his hands into two fists.

"You-you have lost me. I will follow this path no longer!" Lucian snarled. As he turned on his heels to leave, he was met with a blade to his neck. Isadora gasped as she saw another Space Shard had formed in Kaecilius's hands, his eyes widened and narrowed, his mouth tightly shut. He grasped the shard with both hands, aiming it right at Lucian's throat. He looked at Kaecilius with a look of confusion, but realized immediately what he was about to do.

In one swift motion, Kaecilius rose the blade in the air and swung. A squelching sound echoed through the cell and Isadora looked towards her left with horrified widened eyes. Lucian's head quickly rolled off his shoulders across the floor until it came right at her feet. Isadora gasped and shot her head up, but when she met Kaecilius's eyes there was nothing but an emotionless gaze. Kaecilius walked over to Lucian's body and picked up his severed head, staring at the man's agape mouth and rolled back eyes.

"What a shame. You were so devoted, Lucian, but weakness was your downfall." Kaecilius declared, dropping the dead man's head onto the ground. He kicked some dirt on his body and made to leave, but not before taking another glance at Isadora. "Until then, my dear."

The elderly lady watched as he closed the door behind him and locked it, setting the keys back on their holster before walking back down the hall. The torches blew out as he closed the cell door behind him, leaving the single torch in Isadora's cell as the only source of light. Isadora looked down and saw Lucian's severed head. She curled her feet inward and yelped, shrinking back into the corner as she could not believe what Kaecilius had just done. It started to sink in she was being held by a man worse than Dormammu, and to her horror, she had almost allowed the same man to end her life mere moments before.

Closing her eyes tightly, Isadora sucked in a deep breath. She now had come to realize this was not the way she wanted to die, and if her life was going to end soon, she did not want it to be by Kaecilius's hand. Her hands curled into fists as she knew what she had to do. She needed to find a way to escape before she ended up like Lucian, a headless body left to rot in a prison cell.

* * *

To Be Continued

Wow…that was something. I'm even surprised at myself! Anywho, I know you all probably are confused as to why I wrote Lucian the way I did. Yes he does die by Stephen's hand in the movies, but I wanted to change things around because it was important for the story. The truth is we really do not know much about him, and I didn't bother to read the comics! But I kind of pictured him as a sort of sympathetic character. I know this is a huge twist, but I felt it was necessary.

And to all who are still wondering about the romance choice of genre, do not worry, my compadres. Remi and Stephen will get together eventually, and I know it is mostly about Remi, but I am planning on making Stephen's role bigger. He will be a source of comfort for her going through this hard time, but you'll just have to wait and see what I have in store for our two heroes. ;)

DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW! Reviews drive me to improve my writing. If you liked it, didn't like it, thought it was amazing or plain terrible, let me know! I take your words to heart, flames and all.

Ok, enough of my talk! See ya next chapter :)


	6. Chapter 5

Changing Hearts

Chapter 5

" _Mommy, please don't leave me!" the little girl cried as she wrapped both arms around her mother's waist in an attempt for her not to leave her behind. The woman shot her daughter a cold gaze before she used one strong hand to punch the little girl in the gut, sending her stumbling backwards into the grass. The elderly woman stared horrified and ran towards the little girl, clutching her sobbing form and holding onto her tightly. "Katyana! How could you be so cruel to your daughter?! What kind of mother are you?!"_

" _That thing is not my daughter," the little girl's mother, Katyana, glaring at her. "I did not give birth to the spawn of Satan."_

 _The little girl's eyes widened as her mother got into the van and sped off down the driveway, never looking back and ignoring her daughter's desperate pleas._

* * *

Remi gasped as her eyes shot open and she rose up from her bed. She rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand before taking a look at the small alarm clock on her dresser, reading exactly 11:00 AM. Realizing she was late for practice, Remi scurried out of bed and towards her closet, shuffling through her clothes until she found a random pair of white and light grey robes. She hastily adjusted them before grabbing the same pair of rope sandals she usually reached for and tied the ties over her ankles and knees. She was almost ready to head out for another day with the Ancient One and Mordo but not before stopping dead in her tracks. Turning back on her heels, she hurried towards her dresser drawers and moved some stuff aside before she grabbed two pairs of random cotton gauze wrap. She pealed the tape away and wrapped both over her forearms and the palms of her hands before heading out of her room.

"Ah, Miss Ramirez," a voice caught her off her tracks. Turning around, she saw Mordo come striding towards her.

"Good morning, Master Mordo," Remi scratched the back of her head nervously.

"I was just about to come wake you. You're running late," Mordo crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the young woman. Remi cringed and sighed sadly. Shaking his head disapprovingly, he led Remi down the hallway and towards the training grounds.

* * *

Stephen Strange was finishing training with a random student when he saw Mordo and an all too familiar young woman walk towards him. Excusing himself, he walked away from the young boy and met up with them. "What's up, guys?" he asked casually.

"I have assigned Miss Ramirez to train you today, Stephen," Mordo said.

"Please call me Doctor Stephen," the neurosurgeon had to completely remind the Ancient One and him to call him by his proper title. Remi just scoffed and rolled her eyes as Mordo shot Stephen a warning glance before walking to the young man Stephen had been training with. Looking back, Stephen saw Remi just standing there like a statue and walked closer to her.

"What are we doing today?" he asked.

"You…" Remi started and tightened the bandages she had around her forearms. "You are going to show me your fighting skills today. I trust you took my advice and built up your strength."

Stephen eyed her with confidence and rolled up one of his sleeves, flexing her one of his biceps. Remi should not have been amused, but she could not help but stare at his well-built arms. The veins coursed up to his shoulders, and for a neurosurgeon, she was surprised that he was able to build up his muscles for the short time he was here. Before she knew it, a crimson flush began to spread across her nose and cheeks. She also stared at his face. She never had a really good chance to get a good look at Stephen's physique, but it was shockingly enticing and intriguing for her. However, he still had the same old scraggily and messy beard, something that threw her off.

"What are you staring at?" Stephen asked as Remi realized she had not been staring directly into his face. Shaking her head and clearing her throat, she ignored the question and got into a fighting stance, with the doctor doing the same thing. Stephen copied her pose and moved in equal steps with her as they crossed their legs in movement, walking around in a circle.

"Come at me," Remi said. "I give you the honors."

Stephen smirked and ran towards Remi, both hands folding behind his back. Remi ran right back at him and they clashed once more. Stephen blocked the punches Remi had made towards his face and stomach, grabbing her arms and deflecting her movements. She got into a sitting position and tried to kick his feet underneath him, but Stephen jumped into the air and rose one foot hard against her face, causing her to yelp and skidding across the ground. Stephen lowered his foot and watched her get to her feet. Remi felt the right side of her face and notice a small dribble of blood that came from a cut on her lower lip. Her golden amber eyes widened and her dark yellow pupils reddened, sending Stephen a dangerous glare. Balling her hands into two fists, she sprinted towards the bewildered doctor.

Stephen prepared himself and watched Remi throw punches at him. She was not letting down and getting heavier and faster each movement, sending Stephen wobbling and dodging. He found it quite funny and entertaining at first, but the more she went after him, the more uneasy and unfocused he was becoming. He saw her uncurl her fingers and her right palmed flattened, a bright yellow beginning to pulsate to and fro between her fingertips. Stephen gasped and immediately grabbed her right hand before she could make the killer blow. Remi stopped dead in her tracks. Her head darted up and met Stephen's light blue eyes. She tried to free her right hand but Stephen used this opportunity to painfully twist it around her back, causing her to cry and as she felt her arm pin against the base of her spine. Stephen rose one leg and kicked her to the ground, pinning her beneath his foot but still kept a strong hold on her right arm. Remi growled as she felt her face hit the dirt.

"Impossible! How have you managed to build up your strength so quickly?!" Remi groaned as Stephen pinned her harder to the ground.

"Don't be fooled, pretty lady," Stephen chuckled cockily. Groaning, Remi tried to force herself onto her feet, but felt Stephen's hold was harder to escape from. "Guess I'm the stronger one now! That makes you a small fry!"

This did it for Remi. Sucking in a breath through clinched teeth, she closed her amber eyes and began to ponder the best results to break free. Stephen looked at her and advised her to surrender, but before he could say anything, his words stopped dead. A couple of students who were fighting against each other slowed their movements until all the commotion was completely silent on the training ground.

"Uh…Remi?" She appeared not to have heard his concerned and scared voice. Remi's eyes shot open and Stephen could see her arms begin to glow from underneath the tightly wrapped bandages around her forearms. Blue ripples of bright light began to pulsate around her body and Stephen could see the tips of her fingers begin to curl into tight fists. He quickly scrambled off her and dropped her arm, backing away and getting into another fighting stance, his knees slightly bent forward and his back arched with his elbows bent and his hands balled into fists. He observed Remi as she slowly got to her feet, the blue ripples of light only growing brighter and stronger. The students, Stephen, even Mordo himself had stopped dead in their tracks and saw the scene forming in front of them.

A strong gust of wind suddenly burst through the air, the trees leaves shooting right off and into the sky. Remi's arms rose into the air flat to her sides, the white cotton bandages around her arms dissolving off her arms and burning up. Her hair that was pinned up in a usual bun suddenly unwrapped itself until her hair was flying out in all ends. She twirled her hands up and curled her fingers inward, blue orbs of electricity buzzing around the back of her hands and in her palms. She rose in the air until she was about ten feet off the ground, knees bent at her sides and her arms flat outward in front of her. She did a complete 180 degree turned and faced Stephen with a look so evil it could burn his skin right off until he was nothing but a skeleton that had been out in the heat for hours.

An aghast Stephen saw her and began to back away. Markings that almost looked like henna ink started to snake their way around Remi's arms, starting at the base of the forearms and wiring around until they stopped at the back of her hands and across her palms. The same mosaic diamond design appeared around her eyes, giving her the appearance of a tribal woman. Her chest rose up and down with each deep breath she took, inhaling through her mouth and out her nose. Her teeth gritted and her eyes were narrowed so tightly she felt her eyebrows were going to rip themselves off the base of her forehead. A sinister chuckle escaped her lips and her lips cracked in a smile, giving her the appearance as if she were not even the real Remi Ramirez.

"Now you will see how strong I REALLY AM!" Remi shouted as a loud ghostly laugh echoed through the air.

"This is not good! We have to stop this!" Mordo informed Stephen and ran towards Remi. He quickly grabbed the Staff of the Living Tribunal from his back and swung it in the air at Remi, but she managed to grab it with her left hand and tug at it hard, sending Mordo flying towards her until she caught him by the collar of his shirt.

"Foolish man! You dare take on a GOD?!" Remi eyed him filled with rage. Mordo struggled to free himself until she rose in the air and flew downward with such force. The sound of crumbling debris followed soon after. As the dust cleared, Stephen could not believe what he had just seen. Mordo was pinned underneath Remi's foot, half of his robes were torn and his face was covered in blood, cuts, and bruises.

"Remi…stop…" Mordo gurgled, but Remi grabbed him by the collar again and chuckled sinisterly. "You cannot stop the darkness, Mordo. Say goodbye!"

"Remi, no!" Stephen ran after her, but she swung her free hand out and a huge gust of wind set Stephen flying against a pillar. "You are useless to me, dog!"

" _Remi!"_ a loud woman's voice interrupted. The Ancient One came walking briskly towards the girl who held Mordo by the collar of his shirt, but before Remi could fight back, the Ancient One cupped her chin and put her thumb to her forehead. Saying a chant in a language Stephen could not recognize, everything suddenly came to a halt. The markings around Remi's forearms and eyes suddenly pulsated yellow instead of blue. Remi's body began to shake and she screamed in pain, making her drop Mordo and backing away from the Ancient One.

Remi grabbed at her head and dug her fingernails into her temples, raking down until the sides of her face were bleeding. She clawed at her head until she doubled over onto her side, rolling around screaming in pain. The markings snaked upward and the marking around her face uncoiled around her eyes until they disappeared. Gasping and breathing uncontrollably, Remi clung to the ground until her convulsions ceased. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body went still, absolutely still. Her fingers uncurled and her hands and fingers laid flat out against the ground.

Stephen saw Mordo weakly rise to his feet as he held his side, staring at the Ancient One who walked towards Remi's still body. Her green eyes were wide with horror and she bent down to the ground, caressing Remi's cheek. She quickly retracted her hand and ordered two healers to bring Remi and Mordo to the healing chambers, a man and woman dressed in dark blue and white robes hurried past Stephen. The man carried Remi bridal style and the woman wrapped Mordo's left arm around her shoulders to support his weight.

"Stephen," the Ancient One turned towards a bewildered and shocked doctor. "Come with me."

* * *

"Her pulse is steadying," Stephen told the Ancient One as he put two fingers to the right side of Remi's throat. The Ancient One sighed with relief as she covered her eyes with her right hand. "What happened out there? What was that?!"

"Remi's dark power is growing stronger," Mordo groaned as he came limping towards the pair at Remi's bedside. Both of his arms were bandaged and his left eye had been swollen shut from a cut of debris. More bandages were wrapped around his abdomen and his forehead.

"It can only mean one thing. Kaecilius has deciphered Dormammu's spells."

"Kaecilius? Dormammu? What is going on?!" Stephen demanded as he glared at the two.

"Stephen," Mordo closed his eyes sadly. "It is time you learned the truth about Remi Ramirez."

* * *

To Be Continued

Another chapter is up and ready to go! It's a little bit shorter than the last one, but it was the best I could think of. Hope you all enjoyed it!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Winter break is ending and college is starting up again. Updates are going to be slowing down until then. Sorry everyone, but outside from Fanfiction, I'm pretty busy!

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See ya next chapter! :)


	7. Chapter 6

Changing Hearts

Chapter 6

The next few days had been torture for Isadora as she had to take in what had just happened to Lucian, Kaecilius's self-called worshipper and his once most faithful zealot. Kaecilius had come down to the dungeon to check on her daily, though she always snarled at him to get out of her sight because of how terrified she had just become of him. When she demanded to know why he had killed Lucian in the most unimaginable way he did, he explained that because of how important she and Remi were to him, he could not have a "bird going around spreading annoying cries that could wake the whole neighborhood." Out of the visits he made to her cell, one day struck her in particular. Even though she had been stripped of her magic gear, she could still sense a strong, evil darkness that had spread through Kaecilius's body. It was as if the dark powers he had deciphered from Dormammu's rituals were growing stronger by the day, yet he claimed he still needed to read a few more spells before he could fully conduct his plan to take Remi's power for his own and release Dormammu from the Dark Dimension.

This day was a different day. Isadora Ramirez crouched against the corner of her cell right underneath the torch that provided the only source of light. She had prepared for another one of Kaecilius's daily visits to check on her or give her food and water as he routinely did, but this time, something was off. Three hours had passed by and the lead zealot never visited her even for a couple seconds. She clutched at her sore wrists, the metal chains clanking as she rubbed her hands together. The rings were light weighted but tight enough to where she could not slip her hands free. The bars of the door was so heavy she could not pry them off with her limp arms, and because Kaecilius had stripped her of most of her power, she had begun to think that escaping was impossible, but when Kaecilius did not come visit her, her hope and faith began to rise again.

"You may have ridded me of my magic, but I will see the love of my world again!" Isadora determined, balling her hand in one fist. If she would ever find the perfect chance of escaping, this was the best time, she figured. Looking around her cell, she could see the brown and red bare walls, with the torch flickering just above her head. Looking down at her wrists, she stared at the metal rings connected to the heavy chains. She saw two rusted looking nails that were screwed together to keep the rings in place. She used her thumb and index finger to try and pry the screws loose so the rings would slip off her wrists and drop to the ground, but even in the condition of the large nails, they were still strong enough to hold the rings together, and prying them loose proved to be a useless option.

Realizing this was getting her nowhere, Isadora dropped her hands to her side and began to think further. Rubbing her temples with two fingers, she began to brainstorm various ideas until she felt a headache began to grow its way into her brain. Just as she thought she was getting nowhere, a sudden idea came to mind. It was a grizzly disgusting idea, but it was the only chance she had. Turning to her left, she saw that Kaecilius had left Lucian's body in the same condition he had killed him, his head rolled across the floor, his body slumped over on his stomach in front of her cell door. The smell of thick blood and body odor reeked her cell, causing her to cough to the point where Kaecilius had to provide her with a bucket in case she was going to vomit. Her breath began to grow heavy as she rose to her feet and plodded towards the man's headless body.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized. "May the Lord have pity on your soul."

With shaky hands, Isadora grunted and groaned as she painstakingly lifted her arms underneath him and rolled his body over from his stomach and onto his back. It had taken her several minutes to try, but she finally felt the weight kick underneath her. Stretching her shoulder muscles and rolling her arms about for a moment, she soon began to pat down Lucian's body. She stuck one hand inside his robes and felt her way down his stomach and on his sides, searching for anything that could prove to be useful in her aide for escape. At first it felt like the zealot had nothing on him, until she stuck one hand in Lucian's left breast pocket. Her fingers coiled around something hard and metallic with a cool sensation. Tugging it out, she unfolded her hand and saw what she had pulled out. It was a golden ring with two bands she could slip her index and middle finger in. On the top of it it had a sort of mosaic design that formed two eyes staring back at her. She remembered the Sling Rings the Ancient One had provided students would always be in different intricate designs.

 _Wait a minute._ Isadora shot her head down at the ring and one of her prayers had been answered. Quickly pocketing the Sling Ring into the right pocket of her torn grey pants, she continued to search through Lucian's dead body, Isadora continued to feel around, but so far, nothing more had come up. When she felt like she had been searching long enough she gave up and decided to cover Lucian's headless body with a blanket that Kaecilius had provided her in case she had gotten cold. For a prisoner, he played the part of being her caretaker well, she thought sadly. Isadora got to her feet and looked at the prison cell door. The large black bars and the heavy metal door had intimidated her ever since because when Kaecilius opened it, a loud metal creak echoed through the small dungeon.

" _You must see Remi again, you must let her know you are live!"_ Isadora mentally reminded herself. She walked towards the metal door and tugged at the bars. They were perfectly intact and impossible to break off, but because Lucian did not have anything that could unlock the door, she was left to ponder how she could do this on her own. A few moments had passed and Isadora could think of nothing to unlock her cell door, but then a thought had come to her that she had completely forgotten. It was a longshot but she had no choice, she realized. Running her hands through her long matted silvery white hair, she felt the bun atop her head. She grabbed at it and felt hard plastic. She pulled the long bobby pin that was holding her hair up out, causing the long strands of hair to fall in front of her eyes.

Isadora thanked the Lord repeatedly as she held the bobby pin in her right hands. She was about to unlock the cell door when she heard the clanking of the metal chains around her wrists. Looking down, Isadora stared at the metal rings before an idea came to mind. She turned her wrists over to the insides and saw there were two tiny lock inserts. Turning her attention to the bobby pin, she grabbed it with her opposite hand and began to play with the lock on her left wrist. She heard the rustling of metal as she continuously fiddled with the metal rings until, by a sheet of sheer luck… _click!_ The metal ring around her arm automatically separated itself from her wrists and dropped to the floor, heavy metal sounds echoing through her cell. She repeated the same motion with the other metal ring, unlocking and dropping it to the floor. Isadora shuttered as the tight metal restraints around her arms had finally come off. Both of her wrists were swollen and bruised, the purplish-blue markings covering her palms, the back of her hands, and halfway up all five of her fingers. Rolling her wrists around, Isadora cried as the muscles began to ache with every stretch she made with her hands, quickly stopping until the pain subsided.

Turning her attention to the door, Isadora raced towards it and slipped the hand holding the bobby pin through the doors. She felt around the bars until she felt a hard metal plate that had a lock insertion she placed one finger over. She slipped the end of the bobby pin between her fingers and fiddled around until she felt it go inside the lock. Grunting, she began to feel around for the lock insertion point, but so far, the bobby pin kept hitting metal and actually got stuck to the point where she had to tug hard, almost dropping it across the dungeon floor.

"Come on, work with me!" Isadora pleaded with herself as she continued to fiddle around with the cell door. Before she knew it, her ears picked up a _click!_ At first Isadora stopped dead in her tracks, but she quickly pulled herself together and slipped the hand with the bobby pin back between the bars. Tugging as hard as she could, she groaned as she pulled at the door. This time instead of the heavy feeling she always had when she gripped the bars, they felt lightweight and manageable. She tugged one last time until she saw something that almost made her heart drop right out of her chest. The loud sound of metal echoed through the dungeon as the cell door slid effortlessly open!

"Thank you, thank you!" Isadora kissed her fingers and waved at the air. Poking her head out in the small dungeon, she put one foot out and felt the dirty, rock covered floor beneath her. She pulled her body out of the cell and slid the door behind her shut. Her heart racing, she made a run for the door leading to the cathedral just outside her reach. However, she quickly stopped when she saw felt the lock on the door leading into the dungeon was a lot bigger than she had anticipated. Racing back to her cell, she grabbed the keys she remembered Kaecilius held when he had killed Lucian. Making her way back to the stairs, she felt her way around until her hand came over the black hole in the wall. Panting and breathing heavily, Isadora fiddled with the black ring of keys until one fit perfectly into the lock. When she turned the key, loud gear sounds echoed through the prison and the grand organ leading to the dungeon that she was kept in for so long slid open.

Isadora put one hand in front of her face as she saw not the light of torches aligning the prison walls, but light of the actual sun shining through the glass windows of the cathedral. She stepped off the hard-rocky steps and put one dirty foot out into the light. Her eyes had to adjust to the new surroundings, but when they finally settled down, tears poured down her cheeks. The marbled floor felt cool and inviting beneath her feet, and at last, she felt like she could finally breathe real true air.

However, as joyful as she was, Isadora knew she was not out of the limelight yet. Her joy turning heavy once more, Isadora looked around the room. It was empty, with a few benches for church goers to sit at, but from their condition, she knew the cathedral was abandoned. The large pillars, religious images across the glass windows, and the grand organ were covered in a million dust particles and spider webs, somethings she had to swat at as she made her way out of the dungeon. The grand organ slid shut behind her as she turned around to see it settle back into place.

Looking around, Isadora's bare foot steps echoed through the large room as she sprinted towards the large brown and gold door. Once she was in front it she reached for the doorknob, but stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the muffled voices coming from the other side. Backing away from the door, Isadora hastily sprinted behind one of the large stone pillars. Dropping to the ground with her knees pressed against her chest, Isadora heard the sound of the door opening followed by footsteps, several to be exact.

Peeking her head out ever so slightly, Isadora saw two men and a woman step into the room. They were all wearing the same sangria colored robes. "Master Kaecilius will be with us shortly," one of the men said.

"Good. Soon his plans to bring the true Lord and Savior will go without haste," the second man looked at the first.

"However, we need that stupid girl! I don't understand why she is so important to Master Kaecilius," the woman crossed her arms and glared at her two male companions.

"Because she holds a power you cannot possibly understand, Delilah," a voice interrupted their conversation. Turning around, the three saw Kaecilius himself enter the room with another young woman with long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail.

"Kodi, Sam, Katrina," Kaecilius instructed the woman by his side to stand with the others. "Get ready. You will now receive the power to destroy the one who betrayed us." The woman by his side walked towards the three.

"The one who betrays the world betrays us all!" Kaecilius's voice echoed off the walls, making Isadora have to cover her ears at just how deep his voice truly was. Peeking her head out the slightest, she observed the scene in front of them. Kaecilius pulled something out of the back of his robe, a black scroll and unrolled it, staring at two pieces of paper with a smile of satisfaction. She watched as he walked behind the podium and began to read the words from one of the pages aloud.

Isadora used his business as an opportunity to make another slip for the door. Getting to her knees, she hastily but slowly made her way towards her chance at freedom. She could hear chanting and felt the sensation of bright red light, but she did not have time to notice. All that mattered to her was getting back to her granddaughter.

" _I can make it, I can make it!"_ Isadora mentally told herself. As she made her way towards the door, however, she felt her footing give under. She tripped over her toes and stumbled, sending her to the ground on her stomach with the side of her face to the floor! Isadora groaned slightly and slowly got to her feet.

From behind the pillar, Kodi, a young man in his mid-twenties with short grey hair, thought he had heard something. Turning towards one of the pillars, his voice died down as he stared at it.

"Kodi," Kaecilius stopped mid chant. "What is it that distracts you?"

"Uh…nothing, Master Kaecilius. I thought I heard something, almost like a loud groan form behind that pillar," Kodi pointed to the one where unknowingly, Isadora was hiding behind.

"Do not be ridiculous Kodi, we are the only ones here. Now focus!" Kaecilius ordered sternly, and the young man did he was told. However, he could see Kaecilius's eyes widened and his brows arch upward a bit, but decided to pay it no mind. They got back to chanting, unaware an elderly woman was getting to her feet.

Groaning, Isadora shook the dust and dirt off her stained pink shirt. Hearing they were still preoccupied, she hastily but carefully slipped behind each pillar, trying her hardest to give no indication someone else was in the same room. Hopping behind another pillar, she saw the large golden and brown door was just a foot from her reach. Smiling and wiping tears from her eyes, she looked back and saw Kaecilius and his students were still reading aloud the rituals of Dormammu. A part of her wished she had most of her magic back to stop them, but in her state, that was out of the question. She quickly made her way towards the large door and hastily but as quietly as she could, cracked it open enough for her skinny form to slip right through.

Unfortunately, the incident did not go without notice. Kaecilius's eyes darted up from the ritual he was chanting out loud and just happened to catch a glimpse of the door closing. His eyes and lips tightly narrowed, teeth gritting behind his mouth.

* * *

Isadora sprinted down the hallway and into another room of the large cathedral. She hastily closed the door behind her and looked around. It was not as large as the room with the grand organ, but a good twenty people could fit comfortably. A large golden empty tub stood in the middle of the room with a white marble fountain stood in front of it. She realized it was a room used to perform baptisms and took a moment to sit down on one of the large brown wooden benches. After a few seconds, she stood in front of the large golden tub and dug through her pockets, pulling out Lucian's Sling Ring.

"I may not have much magic, but please Lord, let me muster enough strength to get to my granddaughter," she prayed. Sliding the ring on her left hand, she held it out in front of her face and held her middle and index finger from her opposite hand just a few inches from the ring. She began a circular motion with her right hand, visualizing an image of Kamar-Taj. After a few moments of what seemed like nothing was going to happen, Isadora opened her eyes to see orange light beginning to appear in front of her. Gasping and laughing, she circled her hand even faster as the orange light began to form in a circle.

Just as the portal was about to be finished, Isadora was completely unaware of heavy footsteps echoing behind her. With the portal completed, Isadora thanked God and walked towards it, but before she could jump to freedom into the arms of her granddaughter, two strong arms clasped themselves around her abdomen and mouth. Isadora felt a man's hand go over her mouth and she attempted to scream, but he tightened his grip. Her eyes darted upward and she grew terrified to discover an all too familiar man wearing orange robes and long hair pulled back into a braided ponytail.

Isadora kicked her weak legs in an effort to free herself, making Kaecilius pinch her nose tightly with the hand he clasped over her mouth and move the other from her abdomen over her chest. Isadora punched at the air in all directions to free herself, but it was no good. Before she knew it, the elderly woman's punching and kicking slowed down until her body was completely still.

Kaecilius released the elderly woman from his grasp when he realized she was not fighting back. Isadora slipped from his arms to the ground on her stomach, arms bent forward in front of her face. As her vision began to grow blurry, she saw the orange portal was still glowing and circling in front of her. Groaning and panting, she made an effort to crawl towards it, but her legs and arms would not budge. Kaecilius walked to her side and bent down, grabbing her hand and pulling the Sling Ring right off her fingers. Once he did, the orange portal began to dwindle, making a buzzing sound until it completely disappeared. Isadora reached a hand out for it, but her eyes widened when she saw it vanish from her sight. Hot tears formed in her dark amber eyes and a few ran down her cheeks.

"No. M-m-my R-Remi…"

Kaecilius walked in front of her and squatted down, resting his upper arms on his thighs. Shaking his head, he watched as Isadora slipped into a state of unconsciousness. Her head dropped to the ground and her arm lowered. Getting to his feet, he looked down at Lucian's Sling Ring and pocketed it. Turning his attention back to Isadora's body, he effortlessly rolled her over onto her back and scooped her carefully in his arms bridal style. She was incredibly light and feathery in his arms. Smiling, he walked out of the baptism room and carefully kicked the door shut behind him.

* * *

To Be Continued

Well, what do ya know? Another chapter has arrived! I am so proud how this came out and it was one of my favorites to write. I may have not made clear that Isadora had to feel her way around the dungeon for her escape, so I apologize for that. Anyway, here it is for you to enjoy!

 _DO NOT FORGET TO LEAVE REVIEWS!_ I welcome flames and all. :)

See ya next chapter! :)


	8. Chapter 7

Changing Hearts

Chapter 7

Remi's chest slowly heaved up and down as Stephen waved a hand in front of her closed eyes. His eyes were wide and his body began to shake, not because he was sick, but because of what Mordo and the Ancient One had told him about her. Apparently, he heard that Remi held powers that could unlock a great evil from its prison and invade the world. Dormammu, the ruler of the Dark Dimension, was spoken by Kaecilius as his true teacher and he wants to release him to invade the world so they can see the master he really was. Remi was the key to all this, and although her powers were incredibly beautiful, they were also dark and dangerous.

"That is why she cannot tap into her dark powers," Mordo told him. "Because if she does, the closer Dormammu is to be released!"

"Mordo," the Ancient One turned to him. "Remi's power is not dark. Yes, she does hold the power to release him, but she can learn to control them!"

Mordo grew angry and turned away from her, holding his bandaged left hand. Stephen turned his head from them and to a still unconscious Remi, who groaned lightly in her sleep as her chest rose up and down. He could not believe a woman her age, appearing around twenty-seven or so, could end the world with just one power that could go entirely wrong. Turning around in his stool, he stared at her motionless body. Her hands were in fists and her elbows were flat against the sheets of her bed. Her eyebrows lightly twitched but other than that, not a single sound came from her mouth. The Ancient One excused herself back to the training grounds. Mordo stayed behind and stared at Stephen who did not take another glance behind him.

"Doctor Strange," he found himself using his correct title for the first time. "Please watch over her. Whatever happens, this cannot happen again."

Stephen looked at Mordo but remained silent as he made to limp out of the room. "Wait, your injuries are still bad."

"I have some things I need to take care of." Mordo informed him before closing the door behind him. Stephen watched as he disappeared before he found himself all alone in the healing chambers. There were many beds that were covered with white sheets and at least two pillows aligned perfectly in rows, but he and Remi were the only ones that remained in there. He turned back around and continued to stare at an unconscious young woman. He had no idea whether to leave and go find Mordo or stay by her bedside. With his hands in the condition they were, he was unable to perform any of his work to check her vitals, take her blood, do anything that could tell why she had reacted the way she did.

" _I wish I could understand you better,"_ Stephen thought to himself. _"I... you are helping me, but how can I help you?"_

Remi groaned and her hands lightly twitched. Stephen watched as her eyes narrowed and her teeth gritted. Her body began to slightly move about in its still form. However, the more he watched her, he knew something was very wrong. Soon, Remi's movements started to convulse. She cried out in pain and she punched her hands in the air and kicked her legs out, almost as if she were trying to fight something that had her pinned against the bed. Stephen hopped off the stool he was sitting on so fast it fell across the floor and landed against the wall. He grabbed Remi's wrists and pinned them above her head. Remi grunted and growled as she kicked her legs and tried to free her hands from his tight grasp, but he held her arms perfectly against the headboard. Pretty soon her convulsions receded and her legs stopped kicking. Her breath labored and her lips closed together.

"Remi…" Stephen whispered. She said not a single word. "Remi, if you can hear me, say something."

Remi groaned and an arm over her eyes. "Monster," she groaned in her sleep. "I'm a monster. Monster!"

Stephen saw her eyes snap open and she awoke with a start, causing him to jump back and trip over his feet. He landed on his rear but looked up and saw Remi breathing heavily, sweat pouring down her head. She took one good look around before her eyes settled on the doctor. "Stephen? Where, what happened? Where am I?"

"The healing chambers. The Ancient One and Mordo took you here," Stephen explained

"Why? What happened?" Remi demanded quickly

"You don't remember?" Stephen was shocked.

"Remember what?"

Stephen got to her bedside and placed a hand on her arm. "Remi…you tapped into your dark powers. It was too much for you to handle and…you almost killed Mordo."

The silence seemed to weigh heavily on the young woman's shoulders. Her light golden amber eyes widened and she turned away from Stephen and looked at her hands. The markings had disappeared, but there were bandages with spots of blood soaking through wrapped around her palms. Looking up from her hands, tears formed in her eyes as she threw her arms around Stephen.

"What have I done?!" Sobs wrecked Remi's body. "It's my fault! I'm a monster!"

"Remi-" Stephen could not find the right words.

"I have tried so hard to control my powers, but every time I do, I end up hurting the people I love around me. Why am I like this, Stephen? Why does my power cause people pain?!"

Stephen stayed silent, but her words echoed in his brain. All the people who cared about, his ex-girlfriend, his fellow companions he had worked with…he remembered being so mean to them that some turned their backs on him and never spoke with him again, all except for Christine Palmer. She continued to be his colleague for a long time, helping him out with various surgeries, checkups, and even taking notes that he had missed if he had to go away for important meetings. Now, he had lost her, never hearing back from the emails he had constantly written her. Looking down at the ground, he hesitantly wrapped one of his arms around Remi and gently stroked her back.

* * *

Hours passed by after his last visit with Remi. Quietly closing the door behind him, he walked down the hallway towards his own quarters, but stopped when he saw Mordo exiting the Ancient One's chambers. He turned away from him and continued walking, but the master sorcerer raced to his side and walked alongside with him. "How is she?" Mordo inquired.

"The swelling in her hands have gone down, but she still needs to keep her hands wrapped to prevent any infection," Stephen informed him. Mordo sighed with relief as they stopped in front of his room.

"Mordo," Stephen looked at him straight in the eyes. "I think Remi's powers are not evil. You're right that they are dangerous, but not dark. She just needs to learn how to control them."

"What do you mean? How can you possibly think there is a way for her to contain the dark magic in her?" Mordo crossed his arms.

"I don't know. This isn't normal for her, and I need to find out her medical history. Do you think you can do me a favor and find her files for me?"

Mordo gave Stephen a look of confusion and shock.

* * *

Stephen glanced through the paperwork he had received hours later from Mordo. He flipped through each file endlessly, the stack of paperwork increasing on his tiny desk. He read each word intently, but he could not find out anything out of the ordinary for Remi Ramirez. He saw that she did have a couple of anxiety attacks and incidents of sleepwalking but nothing too severe. Sighing, he tossed the last couple of papers aside and leaned back in his chair.

"There is nothing wrong with her," Stephen determined. Looking down at his desk, something caught his attention. It was the very last paper of her medical files. He turned it over and read something that did not sound right. One time, when Remi was fourteen years old, her grandmother had awoken to the sound of screaming one night. The patient's mother informed EMTs that Remi's chest was glowing a bright blue color and her arms and eyes were pulsating with a light so bright she had to look away from it. It caused one of her lungs to collapse from trauma and she had almost died because of it. He tossed the paper into the stack and leaned back in his chair. He began to get the feeling that this was not the first time Remi had tapped into her powers, and it definitely would not be the last.

"Stephen?" a voice came from outside his room. Realizing it was Remi herself, he scrambled to gather her medical files and shoved them into the drawer of his desk. When he heard the sound of his bedroom door opening, he slid the drawer shut and jumped around towards her. He saw her hair was down and she was wearing a long sleeved white nightgown.

"Hey there, Remi. How are you feeling?" he casually asked.

"I'm feeling better than I was this morning. What were you doing?" Remi looked at him confused.

"I was uh…reading an interesting news article on the Internet." Stephen gestured towards is Windows Tablet and smiled nervously. Remi gave him a weird look before rolling her eyes and walking towards him.

"I um, I just wanted to come by and say thank you for looking after me. You really listened to what I had to say and that made me so grateful."

"No problem. I am a doctor, y'know," Stephen laughed.

"I was wrong about you when you first came to Kamar-Taj. You're not as arrogant and stubborn as I thought you were," Remi smiled genuinely.

"I-really? I am?" Stephen was confused, making Remi chuckle. "Wow, That's the first time I've heard you say that in several weeks! Thank you."

Remi nodded and turned to leave, but Stephen stopped her quickly. "Uh, Remi…do you think you could uh, train with me some more? The truth is I really like working with you."

Remi's eyes widened and she felt a flush of hot crimson spread across her face. Staying silent, she nodded and quickly bolted from his room before Stephen could see how red her face had gotten. Taking that as a yes, Stephen smiled and turned off the lights to his room so he could get some sleep.

* * *

 **Over the next few weeks…**

Stephen and Remi trained endlessly. Remi would command Stephen to straighten out his posture or she would nag on him that his magic working skills were lagging, but she was joyed when he had informed her that he was getting better with the Sling Ring. He was introduced to one of Remi's relics, which was a weapon someone was assigned so they could use it to fight against an enemy. It was a braided whip made from the fine hairs of several white stallions, but at the end, two long electrical whips tied together giving off an orange pulsating glow. She cracked the whip at his feet, sending electricity right after his toes, causing him to run in all directions to avoid being zapped. Remi laughed as she hooked the whip to her belt.

"How come I don't see it with you that often?" asked Stephen as he got into a fighting position.

"I do not care for relics much. Why would I need a weapon when I _am_ my own weapon?" Remi laughed as she and Stephen started to punch at each other. She threw one at his face, but Stephen caught her wrist and dropped it before catching her other hand and twisting them both behind her back. With a light kick, he sent her forward yet not as hard as the other time they had trained. Remi gave him a look but smiled as they continued to train together. Stephen tried to kick her from underneath her feet, but she jumped in the air and locked her legs around her neck, sending him in a headlock to the ground. Stephen groaned as she unwrapped her legs from his neck and stood triumphantly over him.

"I win!" Remi made a victory pose with two peace signs in the air. Stephen growled as she helped him to his feet. Their training was interrupted by the sound of the Ancient One's footsteps echoing behind them. The other students turned their attention towards her and bowed.

"I'd like a moment with Mr. Strange, please." The other students nodded and walked inside Kamar-Taj, but Remi stayed by his side.

"Let me guess, it's about my hands," Stephen crossed his arms.

"Actually no," the Ancient One sounded surprised herself.

"How is this not about my hands?" Stephen snapped. Remi watched as the Ancient One ordered Master Hamir beside her to demonstrate his magic. Rolling up the sleeve of his robe, Stephen was taken aback when he saw his right hand was nothing but a stump. Effortlessly, Master Hamir began to form a circle with a square design going through it until it completely disappeared. The Ancient One thanked him and he took his leave.

"You cannot beat a river into submission. You have to surrender to its current, and use its power as your own," the Ancient One informed him. Stephen looked at her confused before she made a portal with her own Sling Ring, commanding him to follow her. Remi was left to stand alone as she watched them disappear into the portal. Not even a few minutes later the Ancient One strode back onto the grounds of Kamar-Taj yet the portal closed behind her before Stephen could jump through. Remi's eyes widened as she questioned why the Ancient One left Stephen alone.

"Give him some time, my dear. He will come back," the Ancient One reassured her. Remi worriedly looked to where the portal closed but she was interrupted when she saw Mordo walking towards them. He looked at her from the Ancient One when he saw Stephen was missing.

"Oh no, not again." He pulled his Sling Ring from his belt, but Remi shook her head and stopped him. They waited a few more moments before they saw an orange portal form in front of them, Remi smiling widely. Stephen fell right through, having been on Mount Everest for some minutes. His beard was covered in snow and he was shaking profusely. Remi came to his aide and helped him to his feet, but they were really wobbly and she had a hard time.

Informing the Ancient One and Mordo she would take him to her room, she helped Stephen reach the doors of Kamar-Taj. Both masters watched as they disappeared from sight, looking at each other with looks of surprise.

* * *

Stephen shivered profusely as his feet dipped into a bucket of steaming water. He had a blanket wrapped around him from Remi's bed and he had a cup of nice warm tea in his right hand. Remi was busy folding the old sheets from her bed and replacing them with new ones before turning her attention back to the freezing neurosurgeon. She smiled as she dried his hair and beard down with a towel before shaking the excess snow off onto the floor.

"Bless you." Stephen let out a loud sneeze. Remi walked towards him and pulled a seat next to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I was before," Stephen answered nasally. "This is good tea."

"With a little bit of honey," Remi giggled as she got up from her seat and took the mug once she realized it was empty. She grabbed the kettle off her dresser and refilled it, returning it to Stephen who gulped it all down.

"Given some time you'll feel better. The Sorcerer Supreme likes to teach her students a hard lesson," Remi dried his hair down some more.

"She loves to torture them too," Stephen pulled the blanket he had wrapped around his shoulders tightly. Remi nodded in agreement and returned to her seat.

"At least you mastered the Sling Ring. It shows you really do have a gift for the mystic arts," she informed him.

"I almost froze to death on the world's largest mountain. How do you call that a gift?" Stephen glared at her.

"You didn't die." Remi laughed. Stephen rolled his eyed as he sipped the last of the bits of tea from his mug. Remi offered to refill it, but after three cups he politely refused. She set the mug back down on the dresser and returned to her seat. "In all seriousness, you are showing amazing improvement."

"Eh, whatever. I never asked, but…why are you being so nice to me all of the sudden? I get it you were grateful for me helping you heal, but…you're treating me as if I'm no longer a "dog."

Remi looked at the bucket his feet were dipped in and shrugged. "I guess…I saw a side of you that I failed to see. I should've looked passed your ego and into your heart. You really aren't a bad man, Stephen. You're kind, caring, and brave, but…I'm still right on one thing. There are only possibilities, nothing more."

Stephen looked at the ground sadly.

"But…that can change in time. If you just _listen_ , you will go far. I cannot change your ways, Doctor Stephen Strange. That is up to you."

Stephen eyed Remi with wide eyes, but immediately, when she met her soft sweet gaze, he lips curled upward in a smile. She smiled back, a genuine smile that was not fake nor forced. A true genuine smile, something that made her feel better about herself, and to Strange, it made him feel better too. For a couple of minutes, it was complete silence. Remi turned away from his gaze and cleared her throat before getting off her chair and heading towards the door.

"I'm going to get some more towels. Do you need anything?"

"I could use some more tea. This stuff is amazing," Stephen gestured to the pot and mug. Remi laughed and nodded her head, closing the door behind her.

* * *

The next day Stephen was back on his feet, feeling like a million dollars. He walked out of his bedroom towards the bathroom, grabbing some scissors, an electric razor, and a washcloth Remi had provided him. He looked at himself in the mirror and realized he had let himself go for way too long now. He lipped the long ends of his hair off and he trimmed his long beard with the electric razor. Just as he was about to stop, he stared at himself in the mirror. He noticed he had shaved his beard into a goatee. Nodding in approval, he turned off the razor and set it on the sink. He then dried his face with the wash cloth before leaving the bathroom.

Walking down the hall, he passed a couple of students holding books and sitting on benches. He made his way towards the library where Wong was putting away some books. He remembered their first meeting on how he was the new guardian of the library ever since the original librarian had been beheaded by Kaecilius. Wong saw Stephen coming towards him and stopped his work.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Strange?" Wong asked.

"I need books on astral projection," Stephen requested.

"You're not ready for that," Wong looked at him suspiciously.

"Try me, Beyoncé," Stephen gave him the same challenging look, but Wong glowered at him unamused. Stephen sighed and requested the book, but Wong bluntly refused.

"C'mon, Wong," Remi's voice interrupted. She walked beside Stephen and patted his shoulder. "He has really progressed in his studies. I think he's ready for some astral projection magic. Couldn't you lighten up this once and give him some slack?"

Wong eyed her confusingly but when he saw the sweet look he gave her, he let loose this once. Turning to one of the shelves, he grabbed two books and handed them to Stephen. Thanking him, Remi and Stephen exited the library and closed the door behind him. Remi looked at Stephen with an "I got your back" kind of look and Stephen mouthed thank you. Remi nodded cheerfully as they headed back to Stephen's room and closed the door behind them.

* * *

"And release your form." Remi commanded. Stephen pushed himself forward with a hard jerk, and before he knew it, his astral formed appeared in front of her. Remi looked at him and scratched her chin. Stephen floated in front of her as she circled him, taking note of his body structure and his face. She nodded in approval and commanded him to go back to his original body. Stephen awoke with a start, gasping and breathing heavily.

"You're doing well for a beginner," Remi informed him.

"We've been at this for hours now!" Stephen told her.

"If you want to get the astral form down, you practice for hours to no end! However, you are right, so today's lesson has ended," Remi concluded. She grabbed the two books Wong had lent to them and headed for Stephen's bedroom door.

"Same time tomorrow?" he asked.

"Same time tomorrow. Goodnight, Stephen."

"Goodnight, Remi."

Remi nodded with a smile and closed the door behind her. Stephen smiled as he listed to her footsteps until they disappeared. Walking towards his bed, he sat down on it and put his forearms on her knees. He could not help but think of Remi the entire time, how she was being so kind to him even though he had treated her like dirt most of the time. She was a mysterious woman indeed, but he finally saw her for her true self. She was a kind woman who cared for everyone, and she was just misunderstood.

Smiling to himself, Stephen stripped himself of his robes and climbed into his pajamas, pulling the bedsheets over him and settling in for the night. For the first time since he had arrived at Kamar-Taj, he was looking forward to tomorrow.

* * *

To Be Continued

And this is where things are going to start to go! Remi and Stephen are starting to get along now, and even though I did do a timeskip, this is another important part in the story. :)

 _Please don't forget to leave reviews!_ Flames are welcomed. Not to say my story is bad, I just take any words you have to say by heart! :)

See ya next chapter! :)


	9. Chapter 8

Changing Hearts

Chapter 8

Remi got up early in the morning as the sun shone brightly over the mountains of Kathmandu, Nepal, lighting up Kamar-Taj in bright pink, orange, and yellow colors. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned before turning to her closet and pulled out a random pair of sangria colored robes. She threw them over self and tied the same orange forearm guards she almost always wore every day. Grabbing her favorite pair of sandals and tying them over her ankles and knees, she did her hair in a usual bun and she was ready to start the day.

Walking out into the hall, the Ancient One had requested her to take a couple of bedsheets to Stephen's room as his was in need of being replaced. She carried about three sets with her as she walked down the hall, smiling to herself and her head lulling back and forth while she hummed a tune that her grandmother had used to sing to her when she was a child, though she could not remember the exact words or title of the song. She walked down a couple more rooms before she reached an all too familiar doctor's room. She made her presence known as she knocked three times, waiting outside with the pile of sheets in her head.

"Stephen, it's me!" Remi informed him yet he never came out of his room. A few more minutes passed and she thought she could hear something outside of the room. Looking around to make sure no one watching her, she pressed her ear against the door and heard the sounds of grunting as well as punching in the air. Growing curious, she decided not to wait anymore and opened the door to Stephen's room. "Stephen, I came by to give you these bedsheets. The Ancient One wanted me to replace…"

Remi's words stopped dead in her tracks and she felt her skin grow hot and red. Stephen was indeed in his room and all right, but the only thing he had on was a pair of black pants tucked into brown boots and white bandages wrapped around his wrists. What really caught her off guard was when she saw he was entirely shirtless. He was shockingly well built, with a six pack that could make any woman faint and biceps that could make a man have a heart attack and faint. He saw his chest was broad and spectacular, a sight for sore eyes indeed. Gulping, the bedsheets in Remi's hands suddenly felt like jelly and slipped from her grip, the cloth and fabric dropping to the floor. The sound of the bedsheets falling to the ground finally caught Stephen's attention and he turned around to see a very flustered Remi standing before him. Her entire face was visibly rosy red and her hands were shaking.

"Ah hello, Remi," Stephen smiled at her.

"Uh hi, Stephen. I just c-c-c-came t-t-t-too drop these o-o-o-off," Remi stuttered as she quickly gathered the sheets of the floor and avoided his gaze as she darted towards his bed, folding them up the fastest way Stephen saw her. Growing concerned, he walked to her side. Her face was flushed and her amber eyes looked a bit glassy.

"Remi, are you feeling ok?" Stephen touched her forehead. It was very hot. "You're lukewarm. You should go back to your room and rest."

"I'm perfectly fine, thank y-eep!" Remi squeaked when she found her eyes slowly roaming their way up and down his broad body. Gulping, she tried to find the right words but when she did, they came out in stutters and whimpers. At first Stephen thought she was having an anxiety attack he had read about in her medical files, but after a few more moments of observing her, he saw she was not looking at his gaze. He looked down at his naked chest and saw she was staring at his shirtless body.

"Oh," He nodded in realization and Remi grew mortified when he had figured out what was wrong with her. A smirk spread across the doctor's face. "You like what you see, don't you?"

"What are you talking about? You're being ridiculous," Remi snapped as she turned her head away from him.

"It's fine with me, Remi. I don't care if you take a look," Stephen assured him. Shuttering, Remi opened one eye and slowly turned her head around. However, the more she stared at his well-built shirtless body, the more she felt like she was going to pass out.

"Ah, so you do like what you see," Stephen wagged his finger at her with an amused fine.

"Ok, time for training!" Remi sprinted out of his room and slammed the door behind her. Laughing as she heard her hasty footsteps echo down the hallway, he grabbed his long navy blue shirt and threw it over himself before exiting his room. A sly smile spread across his lips as he made a mental note to himself that he needed to go shirtless more often.

* * *

Remi was greeted by the Ancient One and Mordo as she walked towards them. The Ancient One stretched her arms out and Mordo had his arms crossed but they were delighted to see her coming towards them. The redness spread across her cheeks had not completely faded and her skin was still pale, but she cleared her throat and joined them at training. "Good morning, my dear. How did you sleep?" The Ancient One inquired.

"Pretty well, thank you very much. I did as you requested and dropped the bedsheets off to Stephen's r-r-room," Remi quickly put her fingers to her lips as she felt her words stutter, the image of a shirtless Stephen Strange crossing her mind again. She found herself getting flustered once more and growled, smacking her hands against her cheeks to clear the image out of her brain. Mordo and the Ancient One looked at each other with confused looks before they saw Stephen coming towards them.

"So," Stephen smirked at Remi. "Do you still like what you see?"

"I'm going to kill you!" Remi snapped as she threatened Stephen with one fist. The doctor just laughed as they turned their attention to their two masters. Their lesson for today would be more relic training and the Sorcerer Supreme gestured Remi over to a spot where they would have enough room to practice their relic magic. That left Stephen with Mordo who followed him to another spot so they could train by themselves. Mordo instructed Stephen to conjure a weapon but realized he was too busy staring at the two women training in front of him. Remi unhooked her electric whip made of fine horsehairs and cracked it, spinning perfectly in a circular motion swinging it around herself. Electricity buzzed endlessly around her, yet not once did she get zapped. Stephen watched in awe.

"She's something, isn't she?" Mordo asked and Stephen turned to him.

"She really is," The doctor agreed. "Mordo, how long has Remi exactly been at Kamar-Taj?"

"For three years, Remi has been here constantly training under the Ancient One. She came to us after…" Mordo inhaled a deep breath and sighed deeply. "Kaecilius had broken into her home. He tried to kidnap her, but her grandmother stayed to fight him off. Isadora Ramirez was her name. She once trained with the Ancient One and became the most powerful sorceress. The Sorcerer Supreme and Daniel Drumm helped aide Remi in her escape, but her grandmother…she never heard from her afterwards."

Stephen turned back to Remi with sad eyes as he watched her continue to train with the Ancient One. The thought of her losing her grandmother to Kaecilius must have eaten at her, and even though he did not know what exactly had transpired, he knew that she must have had a really close relationship with her. Turning back to Mordo, he decided not to ask any more questions and got ready to fight.

"This is a relic," Mordo pulled the staff he had around his back and swung it out in front of Stephen, sending orange bolts of Eldritch magic towards him. "Some magic is too powerful to sustain, so we imbue objects with it. This is the Staff of The Living Tribunal," he swung the staff once more. "The Vaulting Boots of Valtorr." Mordo kicked his feet from underneath them and orange light began to pulsate from the soles of his boots.

"The names just really roll of the tongue, don't they?" Stephen chuckled.

"No more questions. Go on, conjure a weapon," Mordo commanded. After some hesitance, Stephen fiddled with his hands and began to form an Eldritch Whip, but was suddenly caught off guard when Mordo came racing towards him, swinging the staff with full force. Stephen tried to block his moves as fast as he can, but a master like Karl Mordo was too quick for him.

"Fight! Fight like your life depended on it!" Mordo shouted. He used the Vaulting Boots of Valtorr and shot in the air behind Stephen, swinging his staff across his back, sending the doctor skidding across the ground. Remi and the Ancient One stopped training when they heard the sound of Stephen groaning. Mordo stared at him with a stern glare.

"Because one day, it may." Remi watched as Stephen slowly got to his feet, holding his side as an enormous contusion started to form across his torn navy blue shirt. The Ancient One commanded her back into focus, but Remi's gaze kept switching from her to Stephen until they finally settled on the injured doctor. Apologizing, Remi raced away from her and towards Stephen and Mordo. The Ancient One watched intently as Remi came to his aide.

"You went way too far!" Remi accused as she glared at Mordo.

"I was only training him, Remi, do not interfere with our lesson," Mordo scolded her. Remi scoffed and gestured towards the large gash in his side. "He's hurt! How are you supposed to train him if you're going to do nothing but injure him?!"

"Mordo," the Ancient One came walking towards them. "I think that's enough. Let them go." Mordo watched hesitantly as Remi helped Stephen's arm around his shoulder, Stephen painfully moaning as they limped towards the heling chambers. The Ancient One joined him as they watched both disappear into Kamar-Taj.

"I've never seen Remi act this way before. I remember where she cared little for Stephen Strange," Mordo turned towards the Sorcerer Supreme.

"There is definitely something going on between the two." Mordo could see from the look on her face, a smile began to form across her face.

* * *

Remi had taken Stephen to her room as he winced when she poured half a bottle of peroxide onto a towel and pressed it against his side. The blood had ceased, but the bruising around the wound had already begun to form. Three minutes later, she commanded Stephen to hold the towel in place as she found sticky gauze she could place over the wound. Stephen looked at her intense gaze as he could sense so much concern.

"You didn't have to do this," Stephen groaned. "Mordo and I were still training."

"How can you learn to conjure a weapon when he's coming at you like a mad hound? If you ask me, he could've picked a less intense weapon unlike the Staff of the Living Tribunal." Stephen clenched his teeth as Remi slowly unrolled the sticky gauze up his side. Looking down, Stephen saw that the wound was perfectly covered in a sticky bandage and began to poke at the bruising, winching at how sore they felt. Remi shook her head and slapped his hand away from his side, reminding him that he will only make it worse if he bothers with it.

"It's nothing too bad. Give it three days and you should be back to normal," Remi sighed with relief.

"How come I'm always asking for a good concussion?" Stephen sighed.

"Because you're still reckless. You can summon a weapon perfectly but you are easily distracted," Remi narrowed her eyes.

"Like you were this morning? I saw you staring at my abs," Stephen told her. Remi yelped and she blushed, giving him a dangerous glare that he ignored and laughed.

"Do not make me keep coming to your aide, Stephen Strange, because one day I will not help you if you are injured." Remi warned as she crossed her arms.

"Are you running out of words to say? Because to me, it sounds like you're too distracted by the thought of my shirtless body in front of you." Stephen countered. Remi seethed and grabbed a pillow from her bed, shoving it against his face as he fell backward. However, Stephen quickly rose and continued to stare at her.

"C'mon, Remi Ramirez. I can read you like a book," he repeated her words when she had dropped off the nighttime supplies from his first night. Challenging her, he got to his feet and started to walk towards her. Remi felt her throat become soar and she gulped down her nervousness. "What're you doing?"

"Admit it, Remi. You like me," Stephen tilted his head in curiosity.

The bedroom soon filled with a long, torturous silence. Remi's eyes widened and she dropped the bottle of peroxide she still had in her hand. Unfortunately, the lid was unscrewed, sending liquid splashing all over the bedroom floor. Remi's chest felt heavy and unsteady as her breath hitched when she backed against the wall near the window, but she found herself she had backend into a corner. Her breath seemed to hitch in her throat, but she swallowed it down, yet the soreness never left. She had to admit, the past months had been very different for her. She had no idea her mood had changed so suddenly. She clutched at her heart and felt it pulsating against her chest. She began to gasp but she yelped when Stephen pinned her against the wall, two hands balled into fists, his waste only mere inches from her.

"I'm waiting," he told her.

"I…I…" Remi began to lose her track of thought.

"Remi, I'm not really much for patience," Stephen reminded her. Remi closed her eyes and began to whimper, but when her eyes snapped open, her vision blurred.

"I see the way you act around me. You always shoving Mordo aside when he is instructed to train me, your sudden yearning to help when I'm in trouble, always dropping off supplies the Ancient One suddenly requested…that's all bull. You just do it because you can't take your eyes off me."

"You…you…" Remi tried to attack back, but her words would not come out. Stephen's eyes narrowed and he backed off. Shaking his head, he turned his back from her and headed towards her bedroom door. He waited to hear her words, but she could not get them out. Looking at the ground with disappointment, he closed the door behind him and walked down the hallway.

Remi was left alone to ponder what had suddenly happened. Her face felt extremely hot and her legs began to feel like jelly. Slipping to the ground, she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes tightly, letting her emotions get the best of her as tears ran down her eyes. What in the world had just happened?

* * *

To Be Continued

I know, you're probably all going to kill me, but Stephen was on to her the whole time. I know the romance might be starting off a bit early, but hey, I JUST GOT SO EXCITED MY INNER FANGIRL GOT THE BEST OF ME! :D

I cannot wait to write Stephen and Remi's relationship out. Don't worry, we will see more of Isadora in the story, but she will not appear until later.

Anywho, _do not forget to leave your reviews_. I welcome flames and all! :)

See ya next chapter! :)


	10. Chapter 9

Changing Hearts

Chapter 9

Remi had not spoken to Stephen for the next two days. When he said hello to her in the mornings, she would shoot him a glare and just keep walking past him as if he never existed. When they would go to the dining hall to eat, he would try to sit next to her, but she would immediately get up from her seat the moment she saw him come over and sit with another group of students. Stephen looked at her confusingly, but she paid him no mind and talked with the students that were sitting at the same table she was. Narrowing his eyes, Stephen took his trey from the empty table and walked away, dumping the uneaten food and exiting the dining hall. Remi turned her head when she heard the sound of the doors slam, looking sadly before she turned right back to the others.

In the library, Remi sat at her desk and looked through a random library book she had been reading. It was some form of advanced Sandskrit, but when she read the words, she always found herself losing focus. Growling angrily, she slammed the book shut and flung it against the wall, almost hitting a completely unprepared Wong in the head. He shot his head down when he heard the book slam against the wall and Remi turned her back to him. He looked at her curiously but narrowed his eyes and snatched the book up off the floor.

"These books are not something you can just throw around like toys, Miss Ramirez," he reminded her angrily.

"So what, it's just a book! It can be replaced!" she immediately shot back just as rude. Wong grew perplexed when she saw her angry golden amber eyes burn right through him. He walked over to the table she was sitting at and sat across from her, folding his hands together. "Is something wrong, Remi?"

"There is nothing wrong, Wong, just leave me alone," Remi snapped as she turned away from him.

"Remi, What. Is. Wrong?" Wong demanded, pausing in between words. Remi finally turned to him, her glare fading and turning sad. She looked down at the floor and closed her eyes inhaling a deep breath.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," She finally admitted. "I feel like I'm losing my mind, Wong. I can't focus, I can't do anything because when I try to focus all I keep thinking about is-is…" Remi's words faltered.

"Mr. Strange?" Wong shot her an unsurprised look, but Remi looked at him shocked. "Remi, I know how you look at him. For several weeks, you would always accompany him into the library. You would help him pick out the right books for him to practice his magic, and you would always offer to train him when Mordo or another master was assigned to be his teacher."

"Did the Ancient One tell you?" Remi gave him an angry look. Wong stayed silent but shrugged and Remi slumped against her chair. "He confronted me about me liking him, but I couldn't give him an answer."

Wong looked at her with a surprised look but he could tell she was trying to fight her way around her feelings. Clearing his throat, he gave her a bit of advice. He advised her that if she liked Stephen Strange, she should not be afraid to show him if she really liked him back or not. If she did not want to give Stephen any indication, then she could tell him that the question was inappropriate to ask and it was too soon. Remi listened to Wong intently and started to ponder through her thoughts.

* * *

Once nighttime fell, all of Kamar-Taj grew silent. Every single student out on the grounds retreated into their chambers, turning out the lights and settling in for the night. Remi lay in her bed wide awake. She turned on one side and looked out the window, the moon shining brightly in the sky. She had not spoken to Stephen all day and it was starting to eat her up. There were times where she saw him training with Mordo and she wanted to go up and speak with him, but she could not find anything to say. So, she lay in bed, waiting for her thoughts to eat her up until she threw the thoughts aside in a part of her brain where the things she did not want to think about remained forgotten. However, as she closed her eyes to fall asleep, she saw bright orange light from outside her window.

Getting to a sitting position, Remi got off her bed and walked towards the window. She wiped the mist aside and saw a figure out on the training grounds, orange light pulsating around them. Squinting her eyes, she could see in the moonlight and stars that it was none other than Stephen Strange himself. Scoffing, she turned her body from the window and made back for her bed, but something stopped her from doing so. Turning once again from her bed to the window, she groaned inwardly and made her way for her bedroom door.

* * *

Stephen grunted and kicked his feet as he released orange light from the soles of his feet and the palms of his hands. The weather outside was nice enough for him to stay up a couple more hours and train by himself. Punching his fists in the air, he jumped and spun around, landing on the ground with air blowing around him. He continued the same motions and remained unaware of a young woman coming towards him. Remi saw him in the moonlight as he punched at the air and formed an Eldritch Whip in one hand, cracking it against the concrete before it disappeared. "Stephen?"

Stephen stopped training when he heard a female voice and turned around. Remi was standing before him wearing the same white nightgown he had seen her in before, this time she wore a purple sweater and grey backless slippers. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and stared at him silently. "I thought you'd be in bed," she finally broke the silence.

"That makes two of us. Why are you up?" Stephen's tone was not friendly.

"I saw you out here and I wanted to make sure you were ok. It's pretty late," Remi reminded him.

"I can't sleep so I'm out here training. There, you have your answer, now please leave me alone," Stephen shooed her away as he kept punching at the air.

Remi scoffed and walked towards him. She grabbed his hand when she saw one of his fists coming towards her face, causing Stephen to stop his movements and get on the soles of his feet. "What do you want, Remi?" he snapped.

"I wanted to talk…about your question," Remi hesitantly answered.

"What question? Oh, you mean the one where you wouldn't give me a definitive answer to your obvious feelings for me?" Stephen pretended to forget about it and shot her a glare. "Yeah, I knew you'd say that."

"Stephen, you're acting like a child," Remi crossed her arms.

"Please leave me alone," Stephen tried to usher her away once more.

"No! Not until you hear what I have to say," Remi snapped as she stopped Stephen's continuous movements. She clasped a hand around his wrist and tried to make him stop, but he slipped his hand free and grabbed hers, pulling her forward causing her to yelp. Stephen gritted his teeth, causing him to do something that was entirely unexpected of him. Grabbing Remi's other hand, he pulled her forward to one of the pillars in the training grounds. Remi was shocked and demanded to know what he was doing, but he pushed her against the pillar, pinning her two wrists to the sides of her face until he was towering over her. Remi yelped when she felt her back hit the hard brick. She saw the intense glare in Stephen's eyes and looked away in fear.

"Please stop," she whimpered, tears starting to brim in the corners of her eyes.

"What am I doing to you, Remi? I have done nothing," Stephen told her.

"You're hurting my wrists," Remi's voice choked as a few tears slid down her cheeks. Stephen loosened his grip a bit but he did not release her, keeping her pinned against the brick pillar. Remi's body shook with light sobs as Stephen eyed her intently. The glare in his eyes lightened and he saw Remi looking down at the ground, tears dripping onto the concrete. Remi's head tilted upward and she saw Stephen lean in towards her face. She gasped and her watery eyes widened when Stephen came a bit too close for comfort. Remi whimpered as Stephen's lips gently brushed across hers, sliding over the soft pink flesh as he took in her scent.

Remi moaned a bit and she felt her legs began to shake. With a quick hand, Stephen slid his hand from one wrist all the way down to her waste, pulling her closer as his lips caught hers in a passionate kiss that completely turned her world upside down. Looking through tear-filled eyes, Remi gasped when she felt his tongue slide into her mouth and began to feel its way freely around. Feeling her throat begin to grow soar from the cries she was trying to hold in, she closed her eyes tightly as Stephen pulled away from her to stare into her eyes. Gulping, Remi gasped a couple of times before she turned her head up to Stephen.

"I…I…" she began but she was silenced when Stephen kissed her once more. Remi gasped between kisses as he finally let go of her other wrist, pulling her closer to him as his hands moved freely up and down her back. His lips danced against hers as he backed against the pillar he had her pinned to, his hands moving up her waist and towards her jawline. Remi followed his movements, wrapping her arms underneath his trying to keep up with him. Stephen parted his lips from hers and kissed at her wet eyes, running his lips across them to dry any tears she had left. His mouth soon lowered itself towards hers once more and he pulled her back in, caressing her lower back and one side of her face.

After what seemed like an eternity their lips finally parted, tingly and sore as Remi brushed a finger across hers. Stephen looked down and saw she was silent before turning his back and pinning her back to the pillar again. He cupped her face in his hands and he ran his thumbs across her cheeks. "Does that answer your question?" Remi whispered as she felt one hand move from her face to her forehead, gently moving strands of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes.

"Yes…it does," Stephen whispered against her lips. Both gasping and breathing for air, Remi leaned her head in against Stephen's and sighed.

"Stephen, I was afraid to tell you…because I still feel as if I barely know you. We've known each other for months now, but I feel as if we are rushing into this. I cannot let this happen unless we get to know each other like we've been friends for years."

"Friends?" Stephen grabbed her shoulders and gently forced her back. "We've known each other for awhile now, Remi. I think this is the perfect time to act on our feelings."

"What about Christine?" Remi demanded. "You've mentioned her name before, Stephen. Who is she? Was she your ex-girlfriend?"

Stephen's eyes widened and he remained silent. Remi grew impatient and demanded an answer.

"Yes…at the time. She-she treated me like I was still a good person. The things I've done to her, the way I treated her and what I told her, it was unforgiving. I emailed her a long message telling her I was safe and how sorry I was for the way I acted. After a few days, she emailed me back and told me she was happy to hear from me again. She forgave me, Remi."

"Does that mean you-" Stephen cut her off. "No, we're no longer together. We decided it was best to go our separate ways after that. I've made a vow to move on with my life, to heal my hands and start over."

Remi stayed silent but gave him an uneasy look. "I want to try, not for her, but for me. If I want to move on, I need a new purpose-but I can't do on my own. I need you, Remi."

She gave Stephen a look but could tell he truly meant what he had said. Nodding her head in agreement, Stephen smiled with relief and pulled her back in, pressing his lips against hers in another passionate kiss. Remi returned it equally and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer so her waste fit perfectly against his like a matching puzzle piece. After a couple minutes more they pulled away and rested their foreheads against each other's.

"We…we should get to bed now," Remi suggested. She gasped when she felt Stephen pull her into him. "A few more minutes wouldn't hurt."

"You're greedy, you know that?" Remi rolled her eyes but giggled as Stephen once more pressed his lips against hers. Remi returned his kiss with fervor and he cupped her face in his hands.

Unbeknownst to them, they were not alone. Two figures crouched in the trees above the roof of Kamar-Taj watched the pair kiss, their dark eyes showing above the hoods pulled over her heads. The one on the lower branch turned to its partner and nodded. An orange portal soon formed behind the one on the lower branch and both jumped inside. Remi and Stephen never notice the orange portal disappear.

* * *

Kaecilius formed a ball of space around him, using his hands to spin the crystalline structure as he studied it intently. The normal skin around his eyes had been completely overtaken with a purple and silver hew that ran into tear-like stains and cracks. His eye color darkened and he moved the crystalline ball in his hands. He had finally deciphered all of Dormammu's spell, mastering the dark magic written on the stolen pages from the Book of Cagliostro. He heard the sound of buzzing behind him and turned to see two zealots, Kodi and Katrina, rendezvousing back into the cathedral.

"Master," Kodi and Katrina lowered their hoods. "We have scoured the area."

"What did you find?" Kaecilius asked Katrina. "Nothing…until the very last second. We saw our target."

"Excellent. My plans are nearly completed," Kaecilius chuckled.

"Sir, she was not alone," Kodi suddenly spoke. Kaecilius's smile turned into a frown and he glared at him. "What do you mean she wasn't alone?"

"We saw her in the arms of the Ancient One's newest student, Stephen was the name she mentioned. They were…kissing."

The glass sphere Kaecilius had formed suddenly disappeared into rainbow crystals all around. Katrina and Kodi saw the particles fall to the ground and looked back at Kaecilius, who clutched the stolen pages in both of his hands. This news should not have been surprising to him, but it was troubling to hear that this Stephen was going to ruin his plans of bringing Dormammu to Earth. However, the narrower his eyes became, they suddenly widened. He relaxed and turned to Katrina and Kodi.

"I believe we can use this romance to our advantage." A wicked smile spread across his lips.

* * *

To Be Continued

Two chapters in one night, boom baby! I know the kiss was early, and if it didn't seem like they had enough time to know each other, remember the timeskip. I assure you they knew each other quite well, and to be honest, it was getting harder to write their interactions, but once I cleared my head, I felt this was the perfect time for their romance to start. ;)

This is probably one of my favorite stories I am writing right now. I haven't had a lot of time to write, but now since that I do, the writing juices can't stop. It humbles me to know people are out there who view my story. I'm not bragging, I am just very grateful as a writer to know you all support me. :)

Anywho, _don't forget to leave your reviews, those who have favorited, followed and viewed!_ Flames and all are welcomed.

See ya next chapter! :)


	11. Chapter 10

Changing Hearts

Chapter 10

It was another early morning for Kamar-Taj. Just as the sun rose over the peaks of the mountains of Kathmandu, Nepal, students got up just as the rays of sun burst through their bedroom windows. They all got dressed and went down to the dining hall to start an early morning breakfast. Almost everyone in the dining room was accounted for, except for two who happened to go missing. The Ancient One assigned Mordo and Wong to look for them, heavy bootsteps echoing through the halls of Kamar-Taj as they raced through the rows of bedrooms.

"This is ridiculous," Wong looked at Mordo. "Why do we have to wake them up?"

"You know the Sorcerer Supreme," Mordo shrugged, "She never likes late beginners."

Wong harrumphed as they walked in front of a familiar set of bedroom doors. It was Stephen's Strange's bedroom. Mordo walked forward and knocked but no one came to answer the door. Folding his hands behind his back, the two masters waited for Stephen Strange to wake up, but he never did. Looking at each other with looks of suspicion, Wong walked over to his door and impulsively opened it despite Mordo's orders to knock first. However, once Wong stepped inside his room, his eyes widened in shock. Turning his head behind his back, he motioned Mordo forward. They saw a sight that was uncommon in Kamar-Taj.

Stephen Strange was still fast asleep in his bed, but he was not alone. Remi Ramirez lay on the right side of his bed, her back towards him with her hands tucked underneath her face. Stephen lay in her direction with his arms wrapped around her in a romantic embrace as the two slept peacefully together. Mordo eyed the two with curiosity and a smile spread across his face.

"Get up, Mr. Strange. You're late for-" but Mordo stopped Wong from entering Stephen's room any further with a hand on his shoulder. Shaking his head, he turned on his back and headed in the opposite direction away from Stephen's bedroom.

Wong was left alone to stare at the two lovers sleeping together. His eyes widened and he scratched his head in confusion, but just as he begun to take it all in, Mordo raced back towards him and grabbed him by the ear, pulling him away from Stephen's with a wide frown. Wong was confused and kept questioning Mordo on what he was doing wrong, but the master trainer stayed silent as he disappeared with an ever so protesting librarian down the hall.

Back in Stephen's room, Remi's eyes narrowed and she groaned in her sleep just as she thought she heard a sound coming from the bedroom. However, Stephen pulled her to him and buried his face in the crook of her neck, relaxing her movements. Remi smiled in her sleep as she snuggled closer against his chest.

* * *

Stephen and Remi walked down the hall together, side by side ever so closely. A couple of students saw the two together and eyed them, confused as to why a novice was hanging around a master student. However, just like the adults they were, they ignored their looks and kept on with their business. On the training grounds, Remi pulled her electric whip from her belt and cracked it in front of Stephen, causing him to jump back to avoid being electrocuted. "You really need to stop doing that!"

"It's part of training, Stephen. If you want to learn to master the Mystic Arts, you have to learn to get used to being around relics," Remi held out her whip in front of her face.

"That one is too dangerous! It scares me," Stephen admitted. Remi tilted one eyebrow up and smiled amusingly.

"This…this is the Whip of the Crying Beast," she cracked her whip again at a distance this time, sending electricity running from the ends. Stephen relaxed and watched her swing the whip around herself, tossing the whip from one hand to another and spinning it around herself. The electricity flowing from it ran down her hands and shot out of her palms straight in the air. "I was given this relic because it was attracted to my kind of magic."

"Why is it called the Whip of the Crying Beast?" Stephen asked.

"Because it is said to be so powerful that it will even send the mightiest of monsters screaming like a human when it hits their hide."

Stephen eyed her relic in awe as she hooked it back to her belt. Walking towards him, Remi tightened the orange leather arm guards around her forearms and cleared her throat, stretching them out in front of her and getting ready. "If you put your mind to focus, you can honestly make anything into a relic. Observe me, Stephen!"

Stephen watched as she stretched one arm out in the other, orange light buzzing down her arms and out the palms of her hands. Before he knew it, orange light had formed into what looked like an Eldritch Bow and Arrow, something that he had never seen a student perform before. He was about to say something but Remi stopped him and shot the glowing arrow into the sky, causing the orange light to fall apart into hundreds of particles. Stephen laughed in awe as he caught the orange Eldritch light in his hands. It did not burn his skin, instead dissolving into dust.

"That…was amazing! You have to teach me that," he requested.

"Unfortunately, that kind of weapon is too difficult to master. It took me almost the entire time I had spent here to master it, and only about five months ago have I managed to get a good hand on it. Perhaps when you have gotten further into your studies, we will discuss this again."

Stephen looked at her with a bummed out look but nodded in understanding. He watched Remi as she walked away from him until she was a few feet across. She commanded at Stephen to come at her with his weapon of choice, unhooking the electrical whip from her belt once more. Stephen formed a simple Eldritch Whip in his hands and came running towards her. Whipping it around his head, Remi spun around on her heels and cracked her whip above her head, sending electricity through the sky down on her. She caught a ball of lightning in her hands and threw it at Stephen, causing him to yelp and causing him to skid forward, landing on his knees bent backward and the electric ball against a pillar. It was a powerful blast enough for the small pillar to fall forward crumbling to the ground. Remi giggled and snapped her whip twice before her.

"In order for you to master a relic, you must not be afraid! Come at me, strike fear into my eyes!" Remi waved the whip forward and lunged at Stephen. Narrowing his eyes, Stephen jumped into the air with his legs in the air, dodging the electricity shooting from the whip. Remi's mouth hung open as he landed on the ground. Smiling confidently, Stephen swung the Eldritch Whip over his head and looped it around her abdomen, causing a small squeak to escape from her throat. Tugging the whip forward, Remi cried out as her relic dropped from her hand and she flew through the air towards Stephen.

Grunting, Remi hit his front hard and she looked up at him. Groaning, she saw a smile spread across Stephen's face. The whip disappeared around her abdomen and he held her close.

"You tricked me!" Remi glared at him.

"I had to catch you off guard,"

"We're training, Stephen. You must take this seriously!" Remi tried to pry herself free but Stephen held her closer to him.

"How can I take you seriously when you're just…" Stephen stopped his words and looked to his left nervously. Remi questioned him and her lips tightened. "You're just too sexy for me to control myself."

Remi's eyes widened and a deep crimson flush spread across her face. Stephen thought he had gone too far and expected a hard punch to the jaw, but instead Remi smiled widely and cracked up laughing. Looking down at her, Stephen saw that she had to hold her stomach because she was laughing too hard. After a couple seconds Remi sighed and she rested her head against his collarbone. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Stephen chuckled and tilted her face upward, pressing his lips against hers in a gentle kiss that she happily returned. However, their kiss was interrupted when they heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind them.

"Ok, you lovers, that's enough," it was Mordo. Unamused, the pair turned to him with annoyed looks.

"Way to ruin the moment, Mordo." Stephen growled as he crossed his arms.

"You two are supposed to be training. Remi, if you are assigned as his teacher, you cannot keep disregarding your role. Stephen, you are her student!"

"Did you come out here to lecture us or is there another reason?" Remi grew just as annoyed as Stephen did but her mood changed when she saw the Ancient One walk towards the two. Clearing her throat, she gave the Sorcerer Supreme a brief bow.

"Stephen and Remi, please come with me." Remi and Stephen looked at each other nervously and followed her from the training grounds.

* * *

Sitting with her legs crossed on a pillow, the Ancient One sipped tea from a mug as Remi and Stephen watched her. After a few more sips, she sat the mug down and an apprentice took the kettle of tea and her mug from the table and walked away. "Is something wrong, master?" Remi finally spoke up.

"I've been told that Doctor Strange has been advancing quickly in his studies," the Ancient One folded her hands together.

"Really? That's great!" Remi turned to Stephen with a smile.

"It is, but I've been told that you have been taking books out of the library through a gateway that was somehow mysteriously conjured up."

Remi's smile faltered and she stared at the doctor who pretended to have no idea what the Ancient One was talking about. "You've been using your Sling Ring to sneak books out of the library?!"

"Look I can explain…" Stephen tried to start.

"Mr. Strange, there are rules here that must be abided by all times, and there are certain rules that must not be broken. Only if there is a dire emergency are you allowed to conjure a gateway in the library,"

Remi glared at him and shook her head, crossing her arms.

"Miss Ramirez," her eyes snapped open when the Ancient One called her out. "I understand that what you and Stephen have is special, but your relationship must not interfere with your studies. It does me happy to see you two together, but nevertheless you both have a role to play here and you must take it seriously. Understood?"

Remi and Stephen looked at each other and darted their heads at the floor. "Understood." They both said in unison.

"Ok. Now Stephen, if you are advancing in your skills, you need a safe place to study. Follow me," the Ancient One got up and motioned them forward. She pressed the tips of five fingers together and a crack in the scenery began to form. Stephen watched her with amazement as all three stepped into another world that was filled with rainbow crystals that floated around them endlessly.

"You are now in the Mirror Dimension. Ever present but undetected. The real world isn't affected by what goes on in here, so you don't want to get stuck without your Sling Ring."

Stephen chuckled as he ran his hands through the crystals, feeling a sensation where ripples of distorted energy was running through his veins, almost as if he were having the best massage in his entire life. Remi watched him explore the world, watching as the people around him went on without giving him a single glance as if they never knew he had existed. She gave the Ancient One a smile as he enjoyed the new parallel universe around him.

* * *

Day soon turned into night and the moon hung bright over the mountains with stars surrounding. Stephen walked down the hallway towards the library, munching on an apple he randomly picked up from the dining hall. He passed a couple of students and walked into the library. He saw he was in the section that was filled with books for beginner and intermediate students, but he had gotten bored reading the books in this section. Looking around, he snuck from the section and into another room where the books for Masters only remain. He stared at the massive collection of novels, some that he had never seen before. He walked to one shelf, grabbed a random book and flipped through a couple of pages here and there before turning to the books that were chained up on the heavy metal shelves.

" _The Ancient One's private collection,"_ he thought to himself. He knew he was not supposed to read them, but he could not help but wonder what practices had been forbidden by the Sorcerer Supreme that she did not want others to learn. He called out for Wong but heard no response from the librarian. Tilting his head to one side, he saw a book that stood out from the rest of the collection, It has a hard brown plastic-like material around the navy blue cover, as if someone was preparing to lock the book shut permanently. It had a circular golden symbol around the middle. The raindrop symbols around it danced clockwise. He grabbed the book and sat at a random table.

"Ok, let's see what the Ancient One is hiding," he told himself as he opened the book.

"Stephen, no!" a loud voice startled the doctor from focus. Turning around, he saw a panicked young woman sprinting towards him. Looking down at the book, she snatched it from in front of him and slammed it shut before chaining it back into its rightful place. Breathlessly, she turned back around and glared at Stephen.

"Remi, what are you doing here?" Stephen asked.

"I'm stopping you from making a terrible mistake! You were just about to perform a forbidden ritual from the Book of Cagliostro!" Remi snapped.

"What? I never-" The master student marched towards him and shook his shoulders.

"Stephen, trust me. Please…do not try to practice any magic from that book! If you do, you'll end up like Kaecilius," her voice was desperate.

"Kaecilius…what did he do?" Stephen looked at her as he placed his hands on her shoulders. Remi stayed silent but sat down with him at the table.

"It was several months before you came. Kaecilius was a master student who was powerful and a strong fighter, nearly mastering the Ancient One's level of sorcery. However, he…he was a broken man. His wife and son perished and he was trying to find answers to why they had to die. He thought the Ancient One had a way to bring them back…but he lost his way when he discovered she could not."

"Kaecilius became obsessed with the idea of immortality. He found out why the Ancient One was immortal, so he sought after the magic that gave her the power she had. He and his followers, the zealots, stormed Kamar-Taj one day and stole the forbidden ritual that allowed them to bring Dormammu from the Dark Dimension to Earth."

Remi's voiced hitched in her throat as she slowly rose from the table and walked back, unchaining the Book of Cagliostro and bringing it back to the desk they were sitting at. Flipping it open, she showed Stephen the section where the two pages that had been ripped out.

"I tried to stop him from taking it, but he killed the librarian before I made it in time. I was too late! Now that he has this ritual, he can…"

"He can what, Remi? You don't have to be scared," Stephen assured her.

"I have what he wants. The Book of Cagliostro reads that in order to release Dormammu, the Sanctums of Hong Kong, New York, and London have to be destroyed. The sanctums form a protective shield around our world to prevent mystical threats from invading our planet. But…but I am enough to bring the Dark Dimension to Earth alone."

Stephen watched as she rose from her seat. Looking down at the orange guards around her forearms, she untied them and dropped them to the floor. Sighing shakily, Remi balled her hands into fists and circled them around before pulling them out. The markings that Stephen had seen around her eyes and arms before suddenly started to snake their way down her forearms and around her palms, her fingers, until they stopped at the back of her hands. The mosaic diamond-like design started to form around her eyes. Before they could fully develop, Remi hissed in pain and retracted. The marks instantly disappeared.

"I never tap into these powers because of what I am. Stephen…I know you asked Mordo for my medical files."

Stephen closed his eyes and mouth tightly.

"It's ok. I know I'm a monster just waiting to be woken up. The Ancient One tells me that I can control my dark powers. I just don't know how. The thought of being able to release Dormammu alone prevents me from doing so."

Remi closed her eyes and lowered her head. Stephen sympathetically reached his hand out for hers, clasping his fingers around them. Remi looked up with sad eyes as Stephen pulled her close to him into a tight embrace. She gasped at how comforting it was to be in his hold. Closing her eyes, she took in his scent, the clothes he was wearing, everything about him.

"Listen to me, Remi. The powers you have, they're not dark and dangerous. If there is a way for you to control them, then I want to find a way to help. Please _don't_ call yourself a monster. If you were a monster, you wouldn't be the kind and caring woman you are now. That's what I love about you, Remi. You're…you're everything that I want to be."

Her dark yellow pupils widened as she took in his words. Remi's frown formed into a deep smile as she gulped down her emotions, wrapping her arms around Stephen to pull herself tighter into his embrace. Stephen stroked her head and rubbed her back. Looking up, Remi smiled into his light blue eyes. Wrapping a hand underneath her head, Stephen pulled her in closer as he gripped her right arm with his hand. Remi closed her eyes as they went in for a kiss, but it was cut short when they were only mere inches from each other. Their eyes shot open when they heard a deep, ghostly chuckle echo through the library.

Turning around, both students saw a portal begin to form in front of them. They both knew it was not one of them or the Ancient One and Mordo. They watched as three figures stepped into the Kamar-Taj library. Remi's eyes widened and she stumbled back in her seat, gripping the edge of the table tightly as Stephen's eyes narrowed.

"It has been a _long_ time, hasn't it, Remi?" Kaecilius smirked as Katrina and Kodi lowered their hoods. Stephen saw the skin around their eyes was a purple and silvery color.

"Kaecilius…what are you doing back?" Remi asked with a shaky voice.

"I have come to collect what is mine. You, my dear, need to come with me." Kaecilius pointed at her as he started to walk towards her. Stephen saw him and immediately jumped from his seat, shielding her from his sight with his arms out. "Over my dead body."

Kaecilius's smile turned into a frown as he looked at this strange man with a curious look. "How long have you been at Kamar-Taj, Mister…"

"Doctor."

"Mr. Doctor?"

"It's Strange."

Kaecilius looked at him with a confused look before tilting his head. "Maybe, who am I to judge?" with one quick move, he grabbed Stephen's head and in a swift motion, one hand moved from his cheek to his throat. Stephen grunted as he was lifted off his feet towards the bookshelf, flying through the air and landing hard with a loud _slam!_ Books dropped from the shelf and hit the floor. Stephen landed on his side.

"Stephen!" Remi shot up from the table and ran towards him. Kaecilius stopped walking and froze in place. Looking up, he realized what had happened. "Stephen? _It's you_!" Glaring and gritting his teeth, he signaled Kodi and Katrina forward. Katrina ran at the two with two Time Shards formed in both hands.

Shoving Remi out of the way, Stephen shot to his feet and two Mandalas of Light formed in both hands. Remi backed up and she watched Stephen and Katrina fight, Dark Magic against Eldritch Magic. Stephen slid across the table, but Katrina jumped in front of him and slammed her Time Shard against his Mandala Shield, causing it to break and the blade to pierce through the fabric of his sleeve. Stephen screamed in pain as he felt the fabric tare and the shard right against his wrist, a large gash forming against his arm and blood soaking through his sleeve.

Katrina went in for another blow but felt something wrap itself around her abdomen. Turning around, she saw Remi's Whip of The Crying Beast around her abdomen. Glaring, Remi flicked the handle and electricity flowed right up to the two whips, sending a strong electric current around her body. Katrina screamed as she felt her fabric being penetrated by the sharp waves, causing her to break free and hit the table, falling across the floor and slamming into a bookshelf. Unwrapping the whip from around her waist, Remi ran towards Stephen and helped him to his feet.

Stephen grabbed her wrist and they both ran right passed Kaecilius and Kodi. The doors to the New York Sanctum were already open and they leaped inside. Kaecilius seethed and he saw Katrina weakly get to her feat. "FIND THEM!" he ordered at the top of his lungs. Katrina groaned and struggled to her feet but followed Kaecilius and Kodi into the New York Sanctum. The large doors closed behind them.

* * *

Stephen looked at the long gash the blonde female zealot had left in his arms. It was not too long and deep, but it was enough to break skin and blood to seep through. Remi hastily wrapped his arm with a gauze and tied it tightly, making him cry in pain. Once his arm was wrapped, she leaped to her feet and she ran towards the door. Cracking it open, she saw the hallway was empty but knew the zealots were still coming for them.

"Don't worry, I can fight," Stephen assured her.

"It's a pretty large gash. Are you sure?" Remi looked at him with concern. Stephen nodded and they headed out of the room together. Weapons ready, they made their way down the stairs.

"OH _DIOS MIO!"_ Remi screamed as she stopped dead in her tracks. Stephen's feet slid to a halt as she ran down the stairs. A man wearing light green robes with a red belt around his waist was slumped over on his side, clutching at his stomach and his eyes were rolled into his head. Remi hurried towards him and flipped him over. One of his legs had been injured to the point where his foot had almost completely torn off and he had a deep stab wound to the left side of his chest as she pulled back the robes. Tears forming in his eyes, she clutched the man's body close to her as sobs wrecked her body.

Stephen ran to her side and stared at the dead man's body. "Who is he?"

"Daniel Drumm. He was the master of this Sanctum! He rescued me when my grandmother died fighting Kaecilius!" Remi sobbed as she continuously wiped her eyes. Stephen eyed her sadly but before he could comfort her, the walls began to close around them. The room started to shift and the wall around them began to ripple and zigzag. Looking up from the man's body, Remi saw the doors to the sanctum open and Kaecilius, Kodi, and Katrina stepped inside. Gritting her teeth, Remi got to her feet and unhooked her relic from her belt.

"You killed my rescuer! PREPARE TO DIE!" she screamed as she ran towards Kaecilius. She cracked her whip in front of them. Kodi and Katrina were left to deal with Remi while Kaecilius made his way towards Stephen. The doctor got ready to fight and an Eldritch Whip formed in his hands. Kaecilius threw a Time Shard at him but Stephen whacked it out of the way with an Eldritch Whip and made a run for the stairs. Spinning the whip above her head, Remi cracked the whip against the floor and huge bolts of electricity pulsated from the whip sending Katrina and Kodi flying against the walls. Katrina slid to the ground unconscious, but it barely fazed Kodi as he rose to his feet. Remi walked towards him with her weapon ready. Just as she was about to send him another killing blow, her head shot around to see Kaecilius chasing after Strange.

Eyes widening in horror, she rolled her whip back up and ran after them. Kodi watched her disappear from view as he got to his feet.

Kaecilius had two Time Shards ready as he made his way towards Stephen. Stephen had tried to make a run for the Rotunda of Gateways in front of him, but Kaecilius waved his arms in an outward position. The room had begun to look like a treadmill and Stephen ran in place. Groaning, Stephen balled his hands into fists and two Mandala Shields rounded up, but one malfunctioned and disappeared from view. Kaecilius jumped up from the floor and a shocked Stephen saw him hung upside down on his feet above him from the ceiling.

Kaecilius flattened his hands and turned them counterclockwise and the opposite, causing the hallway around them to turn right to left. Stephen fell from the floor and hit a glass window, causing a nasty gash to spread across his forehead. Kaecilius kept this movement up until he lowered his hands. The hallway began to tilt backward and Stephen found himself falling. Quick thinking the neurosurgeon grabbed onto a lamp and saw random heavy objects falling to the gateways below. Just as he was about to slip, the loud zap of a whip echoed across the hall. Kaecilius looked around his waist and saw Remi's whip around his abdomen. Giving a hard yank, Remi grunted as Kaecilius fell from the ceiling to the floor.

Everything returned to normal and Stephen go to his feet. Remi grabbed his hand and he hopped to his feet. She and Stephen sprinted down the hallway as Stephen pushed a large bookshelf behind them, but Kaecilius jumped over it with two Time Shards ready. Remi and Stephen hurried into a room where there were a bunch of random weapons in glass cases. Looking around, they whirled around to see Kaecilius come running towards them with his weapons ready. Remi jumped in front of Stephen and swung her whip around her head. She was able to wrap it around one of the Time Shards, but easily Kaecilius tugged her forward.

Remi screamed as she went flying through the air against one of the glass cases, slamming through the glass and hitting the wall. Her whip flew across the floor, sending her slumped over into a state of paralysis. Stephen tried to run after her, but found himself caught in a clash with Kaecilius. A Time Shard flew above his head, causing him to dodge it and run for the stairs. However, Kaecilius kicked him hard in the stomach, sending him flying into a glass case against another one. Stunned by the sudden shards cutting into his skin, Stephen tried to rise to his feet, but felt Kaecilius's hand grip the back of his shirt and pull him to his knees.

Smiling triumphantly, Kaecilius swung a Time Shard towards his throat, but a red sheet of fabric stopped him. Looking up, a large cloak made from a fine fabric had swung itself against the blade. Kaecilius tried to strike the doctor again but the cloak blocked his moves each time. Growing impatient, Kaecilius kicked the doctor aside and swung along a poll, kicking Stephen in his abdomen and sending him straight for the stairs. The neurosurgeon tried to grab the railing, but yelled when he flung over it head first. The red cloak swiftly flew over the railing towards the falling doctor.

Kaecilius stopped at the railings. Turning his head, he saw Remi struggling to get to her feet. Groaning and panting, she started to cough vigorously as she gripped the carpeting tightly. Looking around, Remi saw the Whip of The Crying Beast a few feet from her up against a glass case that had not been broken. She tried to get up off her knees, but a terrible painful ringing sound in her ears forced her back to her knees.

Kaecilius shifted his feet and started to walk towards her, but stopped when he heard a huge gust of air through the Sanctum. His eyes widened when he saw a now flying Doctor Stephen Strange in the air, the red cloak fanned out from his back. He waved his hands and an Eldritch Whip formed in his hands, cracking it against a Tie Shard that Kaecilius quickly pulled up. Remi lifted her head and saw Stephen and him clash. Stephen had a strong hold against Kaecilius, but he tugged him forward and send him skidding across the floor. Stephen tried to get to his feet but the cloak swiftly pulled him backwards.

Growing confused, Stephen dug his heels into the floor until he was next to two walls of weapons. One had an axe and a shield, another one with Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. Stephen eyed the axe and shield and ran towards him, but the cloak pulled him back and motioned towards the bands. Stephen made a run for it and knocked Kaecilius to the floor, grabbing the weapon and flinging it at him.

Before they knew it, the room had grown silent. Remi finally managed to get to her feet as she stumbled towards Stephen. The bands wrapped themselves around Kaecilius until he was on his knees, a metal guard around his mouth and his arms bent behind his back. Stephen had his hands on his knees and he gasped for air, looking at the now trapped former master sorcerer in a helpless state. He saw Remi come stumbling towards him holding her side. He saw that she had some cuts on her cheeks but other than that she was all right. Putting a hand on his shoulder, they both looked and saw Kaecilius wrapped up tight in the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. This did not seem to faze him as he began a muffled speech.

"You'll die here and Dormammu…" Remi and Stephen had a hard time making out his words, forcing Stephen to walk towards him and remove the metal guard around his mouth. Still speaking about Dormammu, the doctor commanded he stop and speak so he could understand him.

"You cannot stop us, Mr. Strange. The world is not what it once was before. You understand the laws of nature, don't you? It is the end and the beginning. The many the few, becoming the one."

"Look if you're not going to start making sense, I'm gonna put this thing back on." Stephen showed him the mouth guard.

"He means that Dormammu is coming soon and there's nothing we can do to stop him! Isn't that right, Kaecilius?" Remi shot him a glare that made him chuckle.

"Exactly, but I'm afraid I cannot release him without your aide, Remi," Kaecilius told her. Remi clenched her teeth and walked towards him. Stephen tried to stop her but she held a fist in front of his face.

"Why? Why me? What good will it do you if you release Dormammu? It won't bring Adria and your son back!" Remi snapped.

"Do not speak of them! The Dark Dimension is a place beyond time, a place where one can truly be free. The rituals give me enough strength to overthrow the Ancient One and tear her sanctums apart…but I no longer sought after them. Remi, Doctor…we do not seek to rule this word, we seek to save it, to hand it over to Dormammu, the true Ancient One!"

"By handing the world over to Dormammu you've doomed all humanity! What will happen to me if I die? How good will my power be to you if I'm dead?!" Remi sneered.

"The others are just tiny, momentary specks within an indifferent universe. You, my dear Remi Ramirez, are more than that. You have a power that everyone wants…and with my teachings and Dormammu's magic, I will show you a way that you will never regret." Kaecilius persuaded.

"The Sorcerer Supreme is my teacher…you will never be her!" Kaecilius smirked and tilted his head to the side.

"Have you ever wondered how she managed to live this long?"

The room grew silent. Stephen stumbled towards them and Remi looked at him with a sad look. "The rituals you've stolen…she draws her power from the Dark Dimension." Her eyes widened and she looked at the ground. Stephen's eyes widened and he turned to Kaecilius, who nodded his head. Remi cleared her throat and closed her eyes tightly.

"I know how she is. I've seen her read the Book of Cagliostro before. I've seen her perform the forbidden rituals," Remi turned to Stephen sadly. They stared at each other before Kaecilius smiled and chuckled.

"You think that's funny?" Stephen snapped.

"No, Doctor. What's funny is your time is up."

Growing confused, Stephen turned around, but felt something sharp pierce right through his chest. Remi shot her head around and her eyes widened. Kodi came running up the stairs, a Time Shard formed in one hand, right at Stephen Strange. Feeling the blood beginning to seep through his clothes, Stephen clutched the wound as the zealot grabbed him, shoving him right down the stairs. Remi watched as Stephen crawled his way towards the hallway below.

"No, Stephen!" Tears formed in her eyes.

"There's still time, Remi. Make the right choice," Kaecilius told her.

"Go to hell!" Remi screamed as she ran down the stairs for Kodi. She saw that she did not have her relic by her side, but that did not stop Remi. She saw Kodi go after Stephen with a Time Shard in one hand. The weakened doctor tried to get away but he did not have enough energy. Remi rose her hands to her feet and two orange balls of electricity began to form.

Kodi stared down at Stephen's body with satisfaction. "Give it up, Doctor. The girl's ours now!" Before he could make the killing blow, an Eldritch Whip wrapped itself around his throat. Kodi rasped for air as his head shot back, seeing Remi clutch the whip tightly in both hands. In one swift motion, she flung the whip in the air and Kodi was sent flying. Grunting, the boy landed against a glass case and slumped to the floor.

Remi ran to Stephen's side and used all the weight she could muster to help him to his feet. Getting to his feet, Kodi growled and went after them. Turning back, Stephen and Remi watched him come towards them, but he was stopped when he felt red fabric wrap itself around his head. Kodi screamed as he was dragged back and forth by the red cloak, slamming into a glass case and picture frames.

Sighing with relief, Remi quickly slid her own Sling Ring onto her fingers and a gateway formed in front of them. Groaning in pain, Stephen and Remi both stumbled into The Metro-General Hospital.

* * *

To Be Continued

Probably the longest chapter I have written yet! I really wanted to write the fight scene in this and I couldn't stop myself from doing so. Anywho, here is the tenth chapter!

I don't know how long this story will be. It starts where it starts and ends where it ends. But hey, I love writing this story! It's one of my favorites yet. :)

 _Don't forget to leave your reviews._ Flames and all are welcomed.

See ya next chapter! :)


	12. Chapter 11

Changing Hearts

Chapter 11

Warning: This chapter has graphic material that may be disturbing for some readers. View at your own risk!

* * *

Kodi was drug around by the mysterious red cloak that had saved Stephen's life. After a few more minutes of torture he was able to break free and grabbed the cloak from his head, flinging it against the wall as he gasped for air. Looking around, he saw Remi and Stephen had disappeared from his sight. He growled in frustration and punched a good-sized hole in the wall until he heard a buzzing sound echo behind him. He shot his head around and saw an orange glowing portal circling in front of his eyes. Kodi's eyes widened and he yanked his fist out of the wall, a wide wicked smile spread across his face.

Forming two Time Shards in his hands, Kodi made his way out of the hall and jumped through the portal.

"We need some help!" Remi pleaded as she held a critically injured Stephen in his arms. "Where is Christine?" he turned to a nurse.

"At the nurse's station!" she quickly informed them. Remi and Stephen hobbled their way towards the nurse's station where they caught the attention of a young woman with strawberry blonde hair. She had on scrubs, white tennis shoes, and carried a bunch of folders in one hand. Her hair was tied back into a messy bun atop her head as she walked by them.

"Christine!" Stephen called out for her. The young woman turned around and her eyes widened.

"Stephen? Oh my lord, what happened?" Christine Palmer dropped the folders she was carrying and ran towards them.

"He's been stabbed! Please hurry!" Remi begged as Christine helped one of Stephen's arms around hers. Remi helped support his weight with her arms as they opened the doors to an operating room. Quickly Remi and Christine worked together as a team. Remi wrapped her arms underneath his shoulders and Christine grabbed his ankles, hoisting him onto an operating table so the surgeon could get to work.

"What are you wearing?" Christine asked as she untied the ties that were connecting his robes. She looked down at his chest and saw a large stab wound to the upper left of his chest. She was so confused as to what was happening but Remi saw her perform her work with such precision.

"The chest cavity is clear," Christine informed her as she ran over to get supplies. She came back with a large needle and hovered it above his chest.

"The blood…it's in the pericardial sac. Please….hurry…" Stephen's eyes rolled into his head and his hands became still.

"No, no, no! Stephen stay with me!" Christine commanded but the doctor did not wake up. Remi turned to her left and saw the defibrillator, sprinting towards it and rolling it over onto the cart. "Can we use this?"

"Not yet, his pulse is still strong! I just don't know where the blood is clotting," Christine poked at his chest but she could not pinpoint where the bleeding was. Remi hurried over and hesitantly stared before clearing her throat. She hovered a hand over his chest and her hand began to flow a bright orange. Christine stopped what she was doing and stared at her with wide eyes. Remi saw his veins were black and the blood all around his heart stopped flowing. Looking at the large sac filled with the crimson liquid, she motioned for Christine to put the needle in there. Christine, albeit hesitantly, did as she was told and stuck the needle into his chest. The blood in the chest began to fill the syringe.

Christine and Remi looked at each other with relieved faces. However, as she continued to watch him, an orange portal suddenly formed from behind the two women. Looking up from Stephen, Christine saw a man's two big arms wrap around Remi's chest and mouth, causing her screams to become muffled. Christine screamed and backed away. Remi was able to pull his arm away from her mouth and scream for her to take care of Stephen before she was pulled into the portal. It closed behind her, leaving a bewildered surgeon alone with Stephen Strange on the operating table.

* * *

Remi fell back into the New York Sanctum, skidding across the carpet and landing against the wall with a crashing thud. Groaning, she looked up and saw the grey haired male zealot named Kodi coming towards her. With a smile of victory, he walked towards her and formed and Eldritch Whip in one hand.

"I'm not going to kill you, Remi. Just come with me and I'll make this as painless as I can," He motioned for her to come over.

"Like he'll that's going to happen!" Remi snapped as she jumped to her feet. Kodi growled in annoyance and swung the Eldritch Whip around his head, but Remi dodged the movements with ease and slid across the floors on her knees. Kodi saw her coming and jumped in the air. Remi slid underneath him into the opposite side of the hall. Kodi jumped back around as he saw her get to his feet.

"Give it up, Remi! Just surrender to Kaecilius and join us!" Kodi snapped as he formed a Time Shard in one hand. Remi stilled had her back towards him but she balled her hands into two fists and held them out at her sides. Kodi was about to run towards her but his eyes widened in shock as she turned back around. Her forearms, the back of her hands, her palms, and her fingers were covered entirely in the black diamond-like markings and around her eyes as well. They began to light up a light blue as she opened her eyes. Instead of the normal amber color they were the bright light blue that Stephen had once saw.

"Holy crap!" Kodi stumbled backwards. Remi's hands rose to her face and she uncurled her fists, two big balls of bright blue light swirling in her palms. A dark smile spreading across her face, she walked towards Kodi with a charging stance. Gasping, Kodi charged after her, jumping into the air and spinning with two Time Shards in his hands. Remi looked up and easily dodged them. Swinging her back against the ground and twirling behind Kodi. Kodi grunted and jumped back around and charged towards her. Remi dodged this move again and grabbed his right arm, the Time Shards both disappearing and she painfully twisted his arm behind his back, making him wail in pain as he felt his wrist crunch backward and the bones break.

"Please…have mercy…" his voice was shaky.

"There is no mercy for the wicked," Remi simply said. She grabbed his head and began to squeeze.

Like a banshee Kodi screamed as he felt his skin burn intensely. The markings around Remi's arms and eyes suddenly turned yellow as she chanted a couple of words. Kodi gasped and he saw his skin become grey and purple, cracking and tearing. She squeezed even harder and commanded him to leave Earth. The skin around Kodi's eyes and mouth began to thin until all of his teeth were showing and his eyes melted from their sockets. After what seemed like an eternity of torture, the room grew silent. Remi gasped as her eyes returned to their normal color and the markings dissolved in the air. Looking down, she saw she was holding Kodi's body and immediately dropped it.

Remi put a hand over her mouth as she realized what she had done. Half of Kodi's skin was missing around his face and the skin around him had burned off, showing off bone, flesh, and muscle in between. Kodi's eyes had completely melted from their sockets and his mouth had eroded to the point where no flesh was around it, exposing all of his teeth. Looking down at the ground, Remi saw he still had his Sling Ring around his boney fingers. Gagging and hacking, she pulled his Sling Ring off his fingers and circled her two fingers around, an orange gateway pulsating before her. Holding her stomach she made her way back into The Metro-General Hospital.

* * *

Christine had been able to successfully defibrillate Stephen back to consciousness as he opened his eyes for the first time. The blood that was clotted around his heart had been cleared up, and now she was busy suturing his stab wound up.

"After all this time, you somehow show up with a…a witch?" Christine asked a now fully awake Stephen.

"First, she's not a witch, she's uh…she's my girlfriend," Stephen hesitantly admitted.

"Oh so you just jump from one woman to the next. Is that how it is now with you, Stephen?" Christine asked as she tugged the needle hard, causing Stephen to groan in pain.

"No, that's not how she is at all. Christine, when you emailed me, we both agreed to move on with our lives, right?" Stephen asked.

"Yes, we did," Christine kept suturing the wound.

"I know you think I picked up another woman just like that, but she kind of came into my life by her own choice. Remi helped me realized what a total jackass I was to you, and I am so sorry I treated you like that. Please forgive me."

Christie shook her head. "Stop, you're clearly in shock."

Stephen smiled amusingly and he chuckled. Christine smiled back but their conversation was interrupted when another orange portal began to form in front of them. Christine yelped and jumped back, but Stephen watched motionlessly as Remi stepped through the portal. She had a traumatic look on her face and her eyes were wide, but when she saw Stephen awake on the operating table, she grew relieved and ran towards him. She flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly, pressing on his stab wound that caused him to moan in pain. Tears of happiness formed in her eyes. Stephen smiled back and he gently used his free bandaged arm to pull her closer into him. Christine observed the happy moment between them, causing her to look at the ground sadly.

Once he was able to get to his feet, Stephen and Remi made their way back to the mop closet where Remi had formed the gateway. Christine was shocked to discover another orange portal in front of her.

"We have to go now," Stephen stepped into the portal first. Remi turned to Christine with a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Christine, for saving his life. If it wasn't for you…I don't want to think about what would've happened to him."

"I was just doing my job. You were the one who saved his life," Christine smiled back. Remi took her hands in hers and placed them against her heart.

"You will always have my thanks. Until then, you must never mention what you saw here."

Christine looked at her with a confused look but slowly nodded as the portal disappeared behind them. Bewildered, she turned around and was about to walk out of the closet, but screamed when she heard the sound of a broom and bucket topple onto their side.

* * *

Remi and Stephen stepped into the New York Sanctum. Looking around, they walked to where Kaecilius had been imprisoned in the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, but got the shock of their lives when they saw them scattered across the floor. They hurried downstairs and saw broken wood, shattered glass, and stuff thrown everywhere. Stephen saw Kodi's body and held his wounded chest and looked at Remi. However, he realized she had did it in self-defense and decided not to question her after that. He saw the red cloak floating in the air and he grabbed it, swinging it around his back and taking Remi's hand, leading her down the hallway towards the front entrance of the Sanctum.

"Stephen, Remi?!" Remi and Stephen looked up and saw Mordo at the top of the stairs. Rushing up, Mordo wrapped his arms around Remi and he shook Stephen's hand. "Thank goodness! Where have you two been?!"

"We had a little scuffle with Kaecilius. He chased us in here and we trapped him, but he escaped," Remi explained.

"How many more did he have with him?" Mordo inquired.

"Two. I don't know where the girl is, but…his body is in the hall," Remi turned her back and sighed. Stephen groaned and held his chest before walking in front of her towards Mordo. He noticed the red cloak wrapped around his shoulders and smiled curiously.

"The Cloak of Levitation…it came to you," Stephen noticed the cloak and shrugged. Their conversation was interrupted when the Ancient One caught up with them moments later.

"Thank heavens you two are all right! We heard the commotion in the library but you both disappeared."

Remi looked down at the ground when she noticed her armguards were missing. However, the young woman's look grew angry and she marched towards her master. Stephen and Mordo watched as she raised one hand above the Ancient One's face and slammed it across her cheek. The Ancient One stumbled backwards a bit but kept her space as a bruise started to form on her left cheek. However, she was not surprised as she rubbed her sore left cheek. Tears formed in her eyes as she rose another hand to slap her master across the face, but Stephen grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her back before she could make another move.

"This is all your fault! Because of you, Kaecilius now has the rituals to release Dormammu!" Remi snapped as she struggled to free herself.

"Remi, stop!" Stephen tried to coax her.

"It was all lies! Your rules about how we're not supposed to draw magic from the Dark Dimension, you've been doing it yourself this entire time! That's how you're immortal! YOU FEED OFF DORMAMMU!"

The whole Sanctum grew silent. Mordo looked at Stephen and Remi in shock, but he walked in front of the Ancient One and glared at them. He started to reprimand them for making incredibly insulting remarks against the Ancient One and they should show her more respect, but Remi told him that she has been deceiving him the whole time. Mordo stopped talking and turned towards the Ancient One but she never responded. Stephen finally released Remi once she had calmed down.

"Once they regroup, the zealots will be back. You'll need reinforcements," the Sorcerer Supreme cleared her throat and turned to them. "We need to go back to Kamar-Taj to discuss our next moves."

"I'm never going anywhere with you again. You've already turned Kaecilius against you, and now you've lost me entirely."

The Ancient One was taken aback and she tried to reach out for Remi, but she smacked her hand away and ran down the stairs. Stephen and Mordo watched as she opened the door to the Sanctum and closed it behind her, disappearing down the street until she was completely out of sight. Excusing himself, he whistled to his cloak and he flew into the air for the doors, opening them up and chasing after Remi.

A confused Karl Mordo turned to his master, but she did not return his gaze.

* * *

Stephen looked around him in front of the building leading into the sanctum, but all he got were stares of onlookers. Growling in frustration, he raced down the sidewalk in a direction he thought Remi had taken off to. However, the crowds seemed to get bigger with every turn he took. Starting to get frustrated, he levitated off the ground and shot into the air, getting a better look of New York City around him. He shot his head around in all directions but he could not find any glimpse of Remi. He thought he had seen her face in the crowd, but it turned out not to be her.

" _C'mon Remi, where are you?"_ he thought to himself as he flew in the right direction.

* * *

Remi crossed her arms as she walked down the trail of Central Park, observing children tossing balls back and forth and playing tag with their parents, laughing and carrying on as if they had no care in the world. She looked down at the ground as she took a seat on the bench underneath a tall oak tree. Crossing her leg over one, she leaned back and took in a moment to think about the events that had transpired. However, the more she began to think about it, the more she began to think of her own childhood.

Closing her eyes, she sighed and surrendered herself to her thoughts.

 _Ten-year-old Remi Ramirez watched as she sat in the middle of Isadora Ramirez's living room. Her grandmother was spinning around slowly with a ball of orange Eldritch Light in her hands. She smiled at her granddaughter as she watched her roll it across her arms over her shoulders, throwing it into the air as it dissipated in the air, sending a million tiny of particles of light down onto the living room floor. Remi caught some of the light specs and watched as they dissolved. Isadora laughed and continued to entertain her granddaughter._

 _Unbeknownst to them, a woman's footsteps echoed through the hallway towards the living room. Remi commanded her grandmother show her the ball of light again and she obeyed her request. The woman's eyes widened and she leaned against the frame of the doorway leading into the living room. However, instead of an angry scowl spreading across her face, a sweet smile appeared. She had long black curly hair, the same skin tone as Isadora, and light amber eyes with dark yellow pupils. She had on a sleeveless white shirt and grey pajama bottoms. On her left arm was a tattoo of a large boa constrictor wrapping itself around until it ended at the back of her hand. It had large red eyes and its mouth was open, showing its incredibly sharp fangs and its deadly tongue._

 _Once they caught attention of someone else in the room with them, Isadora turned around and smiled widely. "Ah Eulalia my dear, come in, come in!" she motioned for her daughter forward._

" _Oh ok, mamí." Eulalia smiled and grabbed Remi, crossing her legs and sitting her on her lap. "So, what have you shown her this time?"_

" _Abuela's been teaching me all about magic! She's so amazing isn't she, Auntie?" Remi laughed as her aunt wrapped her arms around her._

" _Well your grandmother was one of the most powerful master sorceresses at Kamar-Taj. She knows her magic well," Eulalia bragged as she eyed her grandmother._

" _Those were the old days, Eulalia. No need to bring up the past," Isadora waved her off and took a seat on the couch._

" _Grandmother, why did you leave Kamar-Taj?" Remi asked as she snuggled against Eulalia's chest._

" _For a simple reason. I wanted to have a family, and I was blessed with the two most beautiful daughters in the world. I just had no idea they would be born with the same magic I have practiced."_

 _Eulalia looked down at Remi and formed a ball of Eldritch Light in front of her, making her laugh as she watched it disappear. Isadora smiled as she watched her daughter entertain Remi, but a frown formed on her face when she thought of Eulalia's twin sister, Katyana Ramirez. Sitting back into the couch, she sighed deeply and rubbed her temples with her fingers. Her youngest had always rejected the idea of magic, and whenever the mention of her mother's power was brought up, Katyana would react violently whereas Eulalia would casually brush it off._

" _Mama, what's wrong? Is it about Katyana again?" Eulalia gave her mother a serious look. Remi looked down at the floor in her aunt's arms._

" _Mommy yelled at me again when I told her you showed me one of your old spells."_

 _Isadora and Eulalia shot her looks and Remi slunk back in her aunt's arms. "Why is she always mean to me? She's so scary."_

" _Remi mi amore, your mother is just a hardheaded soul. When she was around your age, Katyana always showed off her powers to her peers. But the other students became afraid of her and started to call her terrible names, so afterwards, she always hated her powers and accused your grandmother of teaching her witchcraft."_

 _Remi looked down at the ground and leaned her head against Eulalia's shoulder. Her aunt smiled sadly and cradled her head against hers. Isadora sighed and stared at the wall. It was still a painful subject to bring up, but since Katyana was an adult, she had the right to make her own decisions. She only wished she would treat her daughter better. The conversation was interrupted when they heard the sound of a car horn echo outside Isadora's house. Not even a few moments later there was the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs and the front door swung open. Katyana Ramirez entered the house, her long black hair out in all ends, her blue jacket half unzipped, the bottoms of her jeans rolled up. She kicked off her flip-flops and entered the house, slamming the door behind her. Remi saw her come into the living room with a blank stare._

" _Where's the beer?" Katyana inquired._

" _Excuse me?" Isadora shot her daughter a glare. Rolling her eyes, Katyana made her way into the kitchen and rummaged through her grandmother's fridge before finding a bottle of Seagrams Vodka. She returned to the living room and plopped down on the sofa with her feet stretched out. Eulalia and Isadora stared at each other as Katyana stared at the ceiling._

" _Katyana, aren't you going to greet your daughter?" Remi jumped out of her aunt's grip and ran towards her mother, hopping onto the couch._

" _Hi, mama! How was work?" Remi asked excitedly._

" _It was the same old same old, nothing more." Katyana slunk back against the cushions. She went to open the bottle of vodka before she noticed something on the coffee table. Setting the bottle down, she curled her legs in and snatched the magic book from off the table. Remi tensed and hurried of the couch into the safety of her aunt's arms. Katyana took a good look at the book and turned it from front cover to back cover, ran her eyes along the seam, and opened it flipping through the pages. Her eyes widened and narrowed tightly when she realized her mother had been reading her daughter another one of the books she had gotten from Kamar-Taj._

 _Katyana's hands gripped the book tightly and she shot Isadora a deadly look. However, the old woman remained defiant and still as Katyana got to her feet._

" _You've been at it again?!" Katyana demanded._

" _At what, mi amore? You mean teaching your little girl the fundamentals of magic? Yes!" Isadora shot right back. Getting up off the couch, she walked in front of Katyana. "No matter how much you want to deny it, Katyana, Remi was born with the same powers you and your sister have! I am only teaching her so she can protect herself in the future."_

" _I told you I did not want Remi to learn such magic, but again, you always follow your own agenda. Why can you not take your own daughter's rules into consideration? YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT KIND OF MAGIC DID TO ME!"_

" _I know it was a hard time for you, Katyana, and I've tried to help millions of times, but you refused my comfort!"_

 _Growling, Katyana snatched the vodka bottle from the table and jumped off the sofa. She walked passed her sister and daughter to the foyer and grabbed her purse and car keys hanging on a hook. Isadora hastily followed behind her daughter and asked where she was going._

" _If you want to raise Remi then do as you please. I will no longer have part in any of this! YOU'VE TURNED HER INTO A DEMON!" Katyana screamed as she opened the front door and slammed it shut._

 _Isadora's eyes widened and Remi and Eulalia got to their feet. Quickly running out the front door, they saw Katyana walking towards a white van. She put one key into the lock of the car and turned it, opening the front door._

" _Katyana, wait! You're really abandoning Remi?!" Eulalia had her hands on Remi's shoulders. Remi gasped and ran out of her aunt's grasp and passed her grandmother, hurrying toward her mother with her arms wide open. Katyana turned around as Remi wrapped her arms around her waist in a pathetic attempt to prevent her from leaving._

" _Mommy, please don't leave me! If you don't want me to learn anymore magic, I'll never ask abuela to perform anymore spells! Please don't go!" Tears poured from the little girl's cheeks. Katyana only shot the little girl a cold gaze and with one swift hand, her fist connected to Remi's stomach. Gasping and gurgling, Remi felt her mother punch her hard in the stomach enough to send her flying off her and slew through the grass until she came to a quick halt. Remi started crying loudly as she held her sore stomach. Eulalia and Isadora quickly ran off the porch towards her. Eulalia watched as her mother bent down and clutched her sobbing granddaughter tightly._

" _Katyana…how could you be so cruel towards your daughter? What kind of a mother are you?!" Isadora angrily demanded through her own tears. Her eyes widened when she saw her daughter's cold gaze._

" _That thing is not my daughter. I did not give birth to the spawn of Satan."_

 _Remi turned her head as she watched Katyana climb into her van, the Seagrams Vodka bottle still in her hand. Closing the door, she started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, ignoring her daughter's desperate sobs for her to come back._

 _Speeding at an incredible 85 MPH, Katyana swerved in an out passed cars, ignoring the angry horns of motorists. Panting heavily, she clutched the wheel as she thought about her mother and daughter. However, images of them appeared surrounded by flames. Remi and Isadora's eyes were red and when they smiled, she imagined them having long fangs just like a vampire. Her shaky breaths turning into chuckles, she looked up from her lap and stared out of the windshield._

" _This magic is a load of crap! A LOAD OF CRAP!" she screamed at herself as her foot increased pressure on the gas. Turning to her left, she saw the alcohol bottle she had taken from her mother's fridge and grabbed it. Laughing hysterically, she clutched the edge of the top and swung one hand against the dashboard. The impact was enough to send glass flying in all directions, onto Katyana's lap, all over the floorboards and front seats. She looked down and saw she managed to grip half of the top of the bottle, jagged edges sticking out._

" _I told you, mother, magic is forbidden! Forbidden!" Katyana hysterically told herself. Looking in her rearview mirror, she did the unthinkable. Tightly grasping the edge of the broken bottle, she rose it to her throat. With a wide insane smile, she pushed it deeply into her neck and sawed it straight across. She continued to laugh and cry as she repeated the same motion back and forth, glass cutting deep into her throat and blood free flowing down her clothes, soaking her jacket and pants until the front was completely splashed with crimson. Katyana's laughs turned into gurgles and gasps and the sawing motion slowed down. Her entire face was covered in blood and her throat was slashed to the point where she almost completely decapitated herself. Still speeding down the highway, her eyes rolled back into her head as the glass dropped from her hands onto the floor._

 _She never woke up to notice her van crash into a rocky cliffside minutes later._

* * *

To Be Continued

I understand it's a very graphic way to end a chapter. I wanted you to get a good look at Remi's past so I hope I did not disappoint!

 _Please do not forget to leave your reviews!_ Flames and all are welcomed. :)

See ya next chapter! :)


	13. Chapter 12

Changing Hearts

Chapter 12

Remi's eyes snapped open once she realized she had fallen asleep on the park bench. She awoke with a start, sweat beating down her forehead and her eyes were bloodshot. Her chest heaved up and down and her hair was soaked from the sun's heat. She ran a hand through her hair and felt droplets of water run down her fingers. Leaning her head back against the bench, she watched as the clouds in the sky passed by ever so slowly, blocking the sun for only a few seconds until it hurt her eyes. She could never forget the news of her mother's death, having died not from the impact of the van hitting the cliff but her slashing her throat repeatedly until her head almost fell completely off her shoulders. She remembered her ten-year-old self standing in the foyer as she watched Isadora drop to her knees and wailed out her daughter's name, inconsolable until Eulalia ran to her side.

Yet even though she found out Katyana Ramirez had died, Remi had never reacted much to when her grief-stricken grandmother had informed her. She always thought that when someone died in her family she needed to cry to show her emotions, but for a ten-year-old she was confused as to why she never cried for her mother, even at her funeral. Eulalia and Isadora saw the way she hung her head over her mother's coffin. She just stared at it with hollow eyes and her mouth was shut, but not a single trace of emotion crossed her face. At first they were concerned as to she could not express herself, but after the funeral, she casually suggested a place to eat after the coroners buried her mother's body.

Her childhood breezed right passed her after the passing of her mother. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she was finally free, free of the cruelty she suffered at the hands of Katyana when she found out her daughter was practicing magic behind her back. All the slaps she had taken, punches to the gut and face, and the kicks to her jaw were worth to where she had ended up now. She was self-determined never to fall to her mother's level of cruelty and she would never become so shallow. Once Katyana had passed away, she lived with her aunt Eulalia for about a year and a half until she was twelve before she moved back in with Isadora. She had a very close relationship with her aunt as her grandmother would frequently drive to her house and they would spend the entire day together, going out to fish or going on long nature walks.

Eulalia soon moved out of state after Remi's thirteenth birthday, but she never stopped contacting her. They would video chat from hours on end and she would do her best to visit, even though four to six months would pass before she had the time to because of her job. Balling her hand into one fist, she remembered a particular day when she was twenty-four. She was sitting in her grandmother's living room casually reading a book when Kaecilius had jumped through a portal, commanding Isadora that she handed over her granddaughter. Isadora yelled for her to run out the back door, but he blocked her path from the kitchen. Luckily the Ancient One and Daniel Drumm showed up moments later to help them escape, but Isadora pushed her granddaughter through the portal to prevent Kaecilius from following them.

" _I will never let him take you," Isadora told Remi._

" _Grandmother, no! He'll kill you!" Remi sobbed, but her grandmother took off her Sling Ring and the portal disappeared behind her._

Remi clutched her fist tightly as she remembered the crashing sounds coming from her house until the portal closed behind her. She never found out what had happened to her after that. Once she had the guts to return to her grandmother's home, she saw various items scattered across the floor and broken glass everywhere, but there was no sign of Isadora. She slumped to the floor in her grandmother's living room and let her emotions get the best of her. From there on out she knew she had passed away and now her angel was looking down at her.

"Abuelita, if you can hear me…I love you," Remi looked at the clouds and smiled sadly. She slunk even further back onto the bench and made no effort to get up off her rear. She stared mindlessly in front of her as she watched random people pass by her, some staring at her odd-looking white robes. She blew them off and sighed deeply.

" _Why did you have to lie to me all my life, Master? You always told us that using the Dark Dimension's power was forbidden, yet you were going behind our backs the whole time and drawing magic for yourself! How could you betray me? I thought of you as the mother I've always wanted!"_

Tears formed in her eyes and she covered them with the palms of her hands. "No wonder Kaecilius betrayed you. You led him to believe you could resurrect his family…but you only gave him parlor tricks. You're the real evil!" She felt sobs escape her throat.

After a few minutes of crying she was able to compose herself enough to clear her throat. She sighed and dried the last bit of wetness from her eyes as she shifted her weight to get off the bench. That is, until someone sat right next to her. Balling her hands into fist, she hesitantly made an attempt to stare at the person sitting next to her. Shifting her eyes lightly, she mentally told herself to stop acting like a baby and just see who it was. Quickly shooting her head to her left, her eyes widened when she realized who was sitting next to her. A gasp of shock and fear escaped as she stumbled backwards on the bench.

"Isn't it a beautiful day to sit and stare at the sun?" The man turned his head and stared at her with greenish blue eyes. The only peculiar thing about his eyes was the purple and silver tint around the skin. Her breaths turning heavy and fast, Remi scrambled to get off the bench once she realized who had sat next to her. Kaecilius turned his head towards her with a glare and a frown spread across his face.

"No, get away from me! We trapped you in the New York Sanctum!" she hopped off the bench and backed away.

"You cannot trap what you cannot catch," Kaecilius told her as he got up the same time she did and he started to walk towards her. "Enough chase, Remi. It is time to come home."

Remi gulped and she tried to run in the opposite direction, but she saw two more zealots coming towards her. Delilah and Sam blocked her path as they formed two Time Shards in their hands, motioning Remi forward. Looking back and realizing what was about to happen, she looked to see free open space in front of her and made a run for it. Delilah, Sam, and Kaecilius saw her sprint away and he signaled forward, all three of chasing after Remi.

* * *

Stephen flew through the air for hours trying to locate any sign of his missing girlfriend. After spending some time in the air he landed to the ground and asked if they had seen a woman with golden amber eyes and long black hair named Remi Ramirez, but they either shook their heads or stared at him strangely because of his attire. Making note of that he thought he thought it best to do an air search and flew right across New York City, but in the millions of people crossing the streets and heavy traffic, he thought that anyone could be Remi. Once he began to think that Remi was nowhere to be found, he was about to give up until his eyes landed on Central Park. He saw the lush green trees and the green grass surrounded by the huge buildings. Smiling to himself, he flew down and landed with a start on the ground.

" _Please let her be here,"_ he thought desperately to himself. He started to ask people about the whereabouts of the young woman, but again got the same response. He searched hours on end trying to find any sign of Remi, but the more he searched, the more he ended up back to square one. Screaming in frustration, he decided to stop for a while and took a seat on one of the benches.

"Remi Ramirez…where are you?" he sadly asked himself as he looked down at the ground. However, something caught his eye. At first, he thought nothing of it but when he took a closer look, he saw a small ring in front of his face. Getting off his feet and bending forward, he saw the ring had two bands that someone could slip their fingers through. He picked it up and examined it closer. Instead of the normal gold color that the students had received this one was completely platinum, the top covered in a dragon's head the breathed fire from its nostrils.

"Wait a minute…" he remembered seeing Remi with this sling ring. "Remi!"

Realizing what had happened, he quickly hopped off the bench and made a long flight back to the New York Sanctum.

* * *

Opening the doors of the Sanctum, Remi hastily slammed them behind her as she raced back up the stairs. She had managed to evade Kaecilius and the zealots back in Central Park by taking another way out, but she knew they would still be after her. Looking around the Sanctum, she called for the Ancient One, Mordo, and Stephen but no one answered her.

"I'm such an idiot!" she told herself as she smacked her forehead. She looked to her side and saw Daniel Drumm's body was missing, presumably having been taken back to Kamar-Taj. Knowing she was not out of the limelight yet, she made a run for the stairs and went to hide in one of the rooms. Just as she reached one of the doors, she heard a man's voice calling her name.

"Remi?! Remi, are you here?!" it was not Kaecilius, but it was Stephen! Her eyes widening in relief, she ran out of the hallway and back down the steps, coming into view of a very relieved and shocked Stephen. He flew up the stairs and caught his girlfriend in his arms, spinning her around off the floor in a tight embrace. Tilting her head forward, he caught her lips in a quick kiss as they landed on the ground.

"Are you ok? I've been looking for you everywhere!" Stephen caressed her face.

"Yes I'm fine, but…but I was such a fool, Stephen. Even though I saw the Ancient One perform the rituals from the Dark Dimension, I thought she was trying to find a way to destroy the spells, but she was doing a dirty deed by drawing power from it! She lied to me, Stephen! She betrayed me!"

"Remi please stop. It's not what you think," Stephen told her.

"What do you mean?" Remi asked. Stephen was about to answer when they saw the walls and doors around them began to ripple and shake. Realizing Kaecilius had found them, they hurried up the stairs into one of the rooms, closing the door behind them as Stephen tossed Remi her Sling Ring and unhooked his own from his belt. Quick thinking he circled his fingers around and a gateway opened.

"Listen, Remi. Go back to Kamar-Taj and hide in a safe place. Mordo is waiting there for you," he informed her.

"What? You're not coming?!" Remi started to panic.

"I have to make sure they don't follow you. Whatever happens…do not come back for me," he tilted her chin.

" _Do not come back for me."_ it was the same words her grandmother had spoken to her as she stayed behind to fight Kaecilius. More tears formed in her eyes as she shook her head. Not wanting to lose more people she loved, Remi reminded him they fight together and she ran out of the room before Stephen could protest. Stephen called for her to come back but she was already out of sight. Sighing in frustration, he flew out of the room after her.

Down the stairs in the foyer, Kaecilius commanded Delilah and Sam to look for them. Just as they got ready to search the Sanctum, they were surprised to see the frame of a young woman jump into the air. She formed two large Eldritch Whips in her hands and tumbled across the floor, swiftly hopping to her feet as she glared at Kaecilius and his two fighters with all her might.

"Still pretending to deny your true self, I see." Kaecilius shook his head. Ignoring him, Remi made a run for them as she swung the two whips above her head. Ordering Delilah and Sam forward, his two apprentices began to clash with the young woman. Delilah tried to strike her down by swinging a Time Shard against her abdomen, but Remi dodged it and wrapped one of the whips around her throat, sending her flying against the wall. Sam saw this happen and ran towards her with weapons ready, but Remi used her last free whip and blocked the punches and kicks he threw at her. As he was about to go in for another blow, Sam saw Remi wrap her last whip around his ankle and tugged it hard, causing him to fly through the air and slam against the door. Breathing deeply, Remi turned to Kaecilius and got ready to fight him.

"Now it's your time to die!" her voice suddenly grew dark and dangerous. Kaecilius watched in awe as Remi circled her fists in front of her and waved them out. The markings started to appear around her eyes and forearms. Smiling with satisfaction, Remi folded her hands together and out once more, a huge dark blue blade forming in her hands. However, Kaecilius did not walk towards her but held one hand out in front of him and balled it into a fist.

Just as she was about to lunge after him, Remi stopped dead in her tracks. A throbbing hot pain shot up her legs and arms, sending her doubling over as she screamed. The weapon in her hand disappeared and she hugged her stomach. The markings suddenly started to pulsate from dark blue to a bright yellow. Her eyes zapped from a bright blue to her normal color to red. Remi wailed uncontrollably and held dug her nails into her head as the pain was too unbearable for her. After what seemed like an eternity of torture Kaecilius finally lowered his hand. The pain immediately subsided for Remi and the markings dissolved into thin arm. Her eyes returned to their normal color and she laid in a fetal position with her knees against her chest. Deep breaths shaking her body, Remi weakly tried to get back on her feet, but Kaecilius grabbed her by the throat and hoisted her into the air.

"Such potential wasted on pathetic magic! No matter how much you deny it, you're meant for so much greatness! Allow me to show you!"

"N-No. S-S-Stephen…" Remi shuttered as her body began to shake. Kaecilius turned his head and saw the angry doctor come flying out of the hall. With a loud yell, Stephen rose his hands above the air and the structure around them began to change. Kaecilius looked around him and saw the walls and stairs were encased in a glass-like structure that rippled around them.

"The Mirror Dimension. You can't affect the real world in here!" Stephen smiled triumphantly.

"No…but I still have the woman you love," Kaecilius shoved her in front of his face. Remi struggled to breathe and she clasped her hands around his throat. At first, Stephen grew hesitant, but then a smirk spread across his lips. He unfolded one hand behind his back and showed them Remi's relic that had disappeared in their earlier fight. Flying down the stairs, he gave it a good crack and electricity was sent flying off the walls. Sam and Delilah jumped back to avoid being him. Kaecilius shot his head around and a zap of electricity circled around him, sending him flying and dropping Remi.

Stephen quickly grabbed his girlfriend's hand and made his way for the door. Remi followed behind and locked the doors behind them.

Kaecilius got to his feet and saw the two had disappeared. Screaming in frustration, he saw Sam and Delilah come running towards him. "Do not let him escape! Bring her back!"

* * *

Stephen and Remi quickly ran down the steps of the New York Sanctum and made their way into the middle of the road. Remi saw that he had not only completely engulfed the Sanctum in the Mirror Dimension but with all of New York City as well. Looking around, they saw a black van coming towards them and made to move out of the way, but it passed through them as if they were ghosts.

"Their connection to the Dark Dimension makes them even more powerful in the Mirror Dimension," Remi breathlessly informed him as she took a moment and put her hands on her knees. Stephen saw Kaecilius, Sam, and Delilah come running towards them. Grabbing Remi's hand, they both made a run for it down the street. He made a circular movement with two fingers and a gateway from his Sling Ring opened in front of them. Behind them, Kaecilius flicked his hand underneath and the buildings around them began to tilt.

Remi screamed as she and Stephen slid into incoming traffic until they hit a huge skyscraper. Quickly getting to their feet, they jumped for the safety up the tall building. Just like the Vaulting Boots of Valtorr, Remi used this opportunity to channel energy into her feet through her sandals. Orange light pulsated out of the souls of her feet and allowed her to fly through the air behind Stephen. He quickly made to form another gateway, but Kaecilius and his two apprentices raced up the same building. Kaecilius kicked himself into the air and slammed his hand down against the large tower, Remi and Stephen hobbled and the orange gateway quickly dissipated in front of them. The building quickly became unsteady with the chaotic movement and Kaecilius clapped his hands together in a downward position, causing the tower to bend forward.

Stephen and Remi found themselves slipping off the skyscraper down to the one below. Remi blocked the stinging air with her hands as she used the magic in her feet to control the fall. The Cloak of Levitation grabbed ahold of the wind and allowed Stephen to fall at a slower pace. They landed safely on the building below and Stephen saw the mess he had unintentionally created. Remi saw him as he grasped what he had just done. Before he could fully take it in the building suddenly lunged forward and they were sent into the chaos below. They quickly locked their hands together and combined their magic to control the fall. Just as it seemed they were going to make it, a large gust of wind suddenly pushed them forward, causing their hands to separate. Remi fell at a much faster pace and slipped through the grading of two apartment building stairs.

"STEPHEN!" she reached her hand out for him but he was unable to grab it as the hole closed above her. He saw Kaecilius in front of him and, unable to rescue her, quickly fled the scene. Remi got to her feet as she saw Stephen take off. Looking behind her she saw the three zealots and made a run for it in the same direction. Kaecilius signaled Delilah and Sam forward and they went for her while he took care of Stephen. They jumped over the railing and Kaecilius sprinted along a huge form of concrete.

Remi panted as she jumped over various flying object and looked to see Stephen above her. She realized he was unable to rescue her as she fled for her life from Delilah and Sam. Stephen attempted to jump down from the railing he was running across to her aide, but Kaecilius caught him in his sight forcing him to flee once more. Remi sprinted even faster but she stopped in her tracks when she saw a large metallic shield form around the railing she was running across. Turning around, she saw Sam and Delilah blocking her path. Sam had his hands in a diamond formation and he clapped them together, causing the barrier to form around them. Remi glared at them as they continued their way forward. Seeing she had no choice, she folded her hands outward and a huge Time Shard swung itself over her head and she caught it one hand, making the two stop in their tracks.

Sprinting towards them, Remi clashed with the two. Delilah blocked her Time Shard above her head with her own as she swung it at her abdomen. Remi flipped through the air and kicked her in the stomach with both feet, sending Delilah skidding across the platform. Sam landed in front of her and swung his own shard to her throat, but she backflipped away and avoided his moves. Remi happened to turn to her left and saw a small opening in the barrier around them. Taking this as an opportunity, she kicked Sam to the side and hopped through it just as it closed. Unfortunately, Sam and Delilah hopped out a few seconds later and continue after her.

Stephen hurried as he glanced below, watching Remi as she fled from the two zealots relentlessly pursuing her. He jumped over the railing he was running across directly above them. Just as he made to jump downward to her aide, he was caught by Kaecilius, wrapping his arms around him and shoving him to the ground. Grabbing his throat, Kaecilius unhooked the Sling Ring from Stephen's belt and pocketed it before forming a Time Shard in his hands. Stephen screamed as he went in for the killer move, but to his surprise, he skidded across the metal platform just as he was about to stab him in the chest.

Remi found herself rising in the air just as she kept running. Growing confused, the floor suddenly came to a hard halt as the Mirror Dimension began to turn into some sort of battlefield. She saw Stephen lying on his back and raced to his aide, kneeling beside them as they watched the field turn into a huge circular mosaic design. Groaning, Stephen got to his feet and stood beside Remi, looking around in confusion. Kaecilius spotted the two and ran towards them but stopped when he saw the Ancient One and Mordo suddenly jump out of an orange gateway in front of them! Remi's mouth hung open as she saw them suddenly appear out of nowhere.

"Stephen!" Mordo ran towards Stephen and helped him to his feet. He turned to his left and saw two Mandala Fans in the Ancient One's hands. She flicked her hands outward until the scenery stopped shifting in front of them. An orange mark burned in the middle of her forehead, indicating she was tapping into the Dark Dimension for magic. Mordo's eyes widened when he realized Remi had spoken the truth.

"Master, no!" Remi screamed as she tried to run towards her. She found herself being stopped by Stephen.

The ancient One glanced at them before turning back to the zealot in front of her. "Kaecilius." She shook her head with disappointment.

Kaecilius and her began to circle as he scoffed at her. "I came to you once, broken, lost and bleeding. I trusted you to be my teacher and you fed me lies."

"I tried to protect you,"

"From the truth?"

"From yourself,"

"I have a new teacher now, and he will be here soon, thanks to a very special gift." He turned to Remi who watched the two circle each other.

"Dormammu deceives you. His eternal life is not paradise, but torment!" The Ancient One tried to reason with him.

"Lies." Kaecilius stopped in the middle of Delilah and Sam and came at the Ancient One with a Time Shard. Before anyone knew it all four began to clash. The Ancient One easily dodged all three of their movements, blocking their attacks with her fans and spinning her heels, creating a large gust of wind that sent them flying. Kaecilius punched the ground and the debris began to spin, but she stopped time for a brief second and repeated the same notion. Kaecilius groaned as he skidded across the ground near the ledge. Getting to his feet, he saw she was so busy fighting Sam and Delilah that an idea formed in his head. He slipped two fingers between Stephen's Sling Ring and started to walk towards them.

Just as she went in for a killing blow to Sam, Kaecilius blocked her moves and stuck a Time Shard right through Sam, puncturing a critical artery. The Ancient One's moves suddenly halted and she looked down, seeing the shard had managed to go right through him and straight into her abdomen. Gasping and struggling to breathe, the Ancient One felt red liquid begin to pull its way from her mouth and down onto her robes. Gurgling, she felt her arms lower and her body become numb. Smirking, Kaecilius shoved Sam's body aside and kicked the Ancient One straight into a gateway he managed to form with his Sling Ring.

Remi saw her master fly into the portal and her eyes widened. She slowly got to her feet as she saw Kaecilius smiling victoriously. "NOOOOO!" Remi screamed as she dropped to her knees.

"Remi, we have to go!" Stephen pulled her to her knees and they ran towards the portal, Mordo hopped in first and Stephen went to jump in, but he noticed Remi was not budging. "Remi, please! C'mon!"

Remi turned her head to Kaecilius and to him before she balled her hand into a fist. Looking at Stephen through tear filled yes, she put her hands on his back and shoved him through the portal. Stephen tried to reach for her but the gateway closed before he could grab ahold of her. Remi watched until they were completely out of sight. Tears dripping to the concrete underneath her feet, her emotions got the best of her as she slunk to her knees, sobbing her master's name as she pounded the ground with a fist. Before she could ponder what to do next, Remi felt something hard hit the base of her neck.

Gasping as her body grew numb, Remi's vision began to blur. Slow gasps escaping her mouth, her body fell forward towards the ground, that is until she felt a strong hand catch her. She weakly tilted her head up and saw a smirk spread across Kaecilius's eyes. Her muscles would not allow her to fight and she fell into a world of unconsciousness. Her body went still in Kaecilius's hands as he lifted her off the ground. Delilah saw the portal disappeared and went to form another one to go after Stephen and Mordo, but Kaecilius caught her arm and shook his head.

"Forget them. We have what we came for." He carried Remi bridal style as Delilah formed a gateway which lead back to their hideout in the abandon cathedral. Kaecilius gave Sam's dead body a glance and spat on it before he stepped through the portal with Delilah following behind. Once they reached their destination, the gateway closed behind them as Kaecilius turned around to stare at the religious images painted across the windows and the ceilings.

"Finally, you belong to me!" Kaecilius looked down at the unconscious girl he had in his arms.

* * *

To Be Continued

Here is another chapter out of the way! I'm starting to like posting two chapters in one full day, it makes me feel more accomplished. Well I don't know what else to say other than enjoy!

 _Don't forget to leave your reviews!_ Flames and all are welcomed.

See ya next chapter! :)


	14. Chapter 13

Changing Hearts

Chapter 13

Isadora's head hung limply on her shoulders as she stared at the floor of her prison cell. She was so close to seeing her granddaughter alive, but when Kaecilius had caught her trying to escape, her fighting spirit and hope had been drained from her body. It was as if she did not care if the world ended around her, she was ready to surrender and let the world fall to the darkness of Dormammu. This did not stop her from praying endlessly as she was grateful that she did not meet her death at Kaecilius's hands or that she was able to escape from her cell and have one breath of fresh air. If she were to die at Dormammu's hands, she would go out her way and not let Kaecilius choose for her.

"Thank you, Lord," Isadora felt herself smile regardless of her despondent situation. "Your strength has only made my will stronger." She kissed her dirty fingertips and waved them into the air.

"Really? We'll see how strong you are soon," Isadora glared out of the bars of her cell when she saw an all too familiar man walk in front of the bars. "Just give up, Isadora. Your God doesn't exist, only the true Lord and Savior does."

"No matter how many times you get me to deny myself, Kaecilius, your words only strengthen my faith in my religion more." Kaecilius watched her reach into her shirt and pulled out something from her caller that she had managed to hide from him when he had decided to spare her life. It was a necklace that Remi had made her from when she took art class in middle school. The thread was made from a clear solid lining and white clay was carved into a ichthys, the words carved in the middle reading her favorite Bible verse, _James 1:6;_ _But_ _let him ask in faith,_ _with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like_ _a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind._

Isadora's chained hands cupped the necklace and she smiled down at it. She held it close to her heart as Remi knew her faith was important to her, and she vowed to never let anyone take away her set of mind. Kaecilius's eyes widened and he gritted his teeth. He realized that it was going to be hard to break her, and he had had about enough of her delusions. He marched to the opposite side of the rows of cells and grabbed the black metal ring of keys from their holster. Isadora's dreamful stare suddenly darted up and she saw Kaecilius swing her cell door opening. She shrunk back into the corner as he walked towards her until he stopped, his hands tightly fisted, his purple and silver tinted eyes glowing in the dark shadows. Isadora shuttered as he reached down and grabbed her by the collar of her pink shirt, hoisting her to her feet. Isadora cried out as the metal chains that were once again around her wrists tugged painfully.

"We shall see how strong your faith is once Dormammu is here!" Kaecilius snapped. Tucking his index finger and thumb into the collar of her shirt, he saw the necklace he thought a little kid had made. Isadora protested tearfully as he yanked it from her neck, dropping her to the ground and turning his back from her.

"What a pathetic trinket," Kaecilius turned his head to Isadora but kept his back to her. Glaring at her, he incased her granddaughter's gift into a tight fist and squeezed. Remi could hear a tight crack echo through her cell, causing a horrified gasp to escape he dry throat. The clay containing the carving of her favorite bible verse snapped, leaving nothing but small bits in his hand. Making a mock face of sadness, Kaecilius wickedly smiled as he dropped the already broken necklace onto the floor and began stomping on it.

Isadora shuttered and hoarse whimpers made her body shake. Tears formed in her eyes and ran down her cheeks. She broke down and sobbed loudly, hiding her red and wet eyes with the palms of her hands to avoid his face. Kaecilius's smile turned into a frown but his glare still remained. He looked down and saw the clay ichthys was now completely destroyed into nothing but dust. His eyebrows slightly arched.

"Why?! Why are you doing this to me? Why can't you just let me go? At least let me keep the little joy I have left! How could you destroy something that would be left of my Remi?!" Isadora sobbed.

"Isadora…" Kaecilius bent down and roughly grabbed her chin, forcing her red bloodshot eyes to stare into his. "That is why I brought you a very special gift."

Isadora grew confused but watched as two hooded figures entered the dungeon soon after. She watched them pull down their hoods and revealed the faces of two young women, one with long black hair and the other blonde. Their eyes were the same as Kaecilius's. Isadora remembered their names as Delilah and Katrina and watched them walk forward. Ordering Delilah to his cell, she walked in and Isadora's eyes widened in horror. A young woman with medium length black hair and the same skin color was in her arms, dressed in worn out white robes with roped sandals around her ankles and knees. She lay motionless in Delilah's arms, but her fingers twitched from here to there.

"You wanted to see your granddaughter again, didn't you? Now you have your chance."

"Give her to me! Release my Remi!" Isadora shot to her feet and sprinted towards her with open arms, but Kaecilius stepped in front of Delilah, shielding her body from her view.

"If you want to see her again, then you must make an important decision," Isadora glared at him as she tried to get a glimpse of her motionless granddaughter. "I will gladly release her to you, only if you agree to watch her transform into the soldier _I_ plan on making her. If you agree, I will personally see to it that you have the reunion you've longed for so much."

"You mean…you'll let her go?" Isadora gave him a hopeful smile.

"If you agree to watch her transformation, but that is my only offer," Kaecilius rose to his feet and backed away, allowing her a view of Remi's body. Isadora's smile faltered as she stared at her unconscious granddaughter. A few moments had passed in complete silence but Kaecilius waited patiently with his hands behind his back as he waited for her answer. Isadora could only stare at the love of her world as her body began to shake, her lips quivered, and her palms balled into fists. Her sad look turned into a glare and she turned her head around and seethed at Kaecilius.

"Get out of my sight! I would rather rot here in this prison than watch you turn my granddaughter into a MONSTER!" Isadora screamed, her loud voice echoing off the walls.

Kaecilius shook his head with disappointment and walked back to Delilah who slipped the young woman from her arms into his. He carried her bridal style and he made his way out of her cell, Delilah following behind. However, just as he was about to step out, he gave Isadora a shameful glare.

"What a pity. Fine! Have it your way," Kaecilius signaled Katrina forward. The blonde zealot stormed right into her cell, grabbing the keys from her master's hands and unlocking her restraints.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" Isadora struggled in Katrina's grasp but she kicked her to the ground, slamming her foot hard against her spine. Isadora groaned as she felt her foot increase pressure. She wailed as she tried to crawl free. "Remi will never surrender to your control!"

"What if I bring her the head of her beloved grandmother?" Kaecilius smirked sinisterly. Isadora's eyes widened in horror as she turned around to see a large Time Shard in Katrina's hand. The young woman giving her the same wicked look, Tears forming in her eyes, she turned away and closed them, praying to God once more as Katrina swung.

Kaecilius looked away and Delilah followed behind. Looking down at Remi, he smiled and walked up the steps of the prison, the grand organ sliding shut behind him.

* * *

To Be Continued

The text I had for the engraving of Isadora's necklace belongs to this website: passage/?search=James+1%3A6&version=ESV

Oooh, a cliffy! I know you all can't stand those, but I love to torture you ;)

I had originally planned on making this chapter with the scenes to follow, but I wanted to work around it and separate this from what is to come.

 _Don't forget to leave your reviews!_ Flames and all are welcomed.

See ya next chapter! :)


	15. Chapter 14

Changing Hearts

Chapter 14

Stephen quickly threw scrubs on over his clothes and ran with several other doctors down the hallway of The Metro-General Hospital, wheeling the critically injured Sorcerer Supreme on a gurney as he ordered several doctors to be careful. Once he reached the nurse's station, he saw various doctors and nurses preparing for the upcoming emergency surgery. Calling for Christine, the annoyed surgeon looked around and saw the Ancient One on the gurney and immediately jumped into action. The doctors wheeled her to the nearest room to prepare for the emergency surgery. One surgeon strapped an oxygen mask to her face in an attempt to help her breathe, but the heart monitor showed it still pacing rapidly.

"Is it neurogenic?" an emergency technician asked Stephen.

"Yes," Stephen answered as he fastened his latex gloves. Various doctors and nurses gathered surgical tools off to prepare the emergency surgery. Stephen quickly picked up a scalpel, but realized his hands shook with the sharp blade in hand. Nodding in understanding, he saw Nicodemus West and sighed. "Nick. I need you to relieve the pressure on her brain."

Nicodemus West looked down at the scalpel but eyed Stephen with determination, grabbing it from his hands and commanded everyone to get ready, but just as he did, a loud beeping echoed off the heart monitor, indicating the Ancient One was going into shock.

"We're losing her! I need a crash cart!" Christine ordered and a young nurse quickly wheeled one over for her.

"Increase her oxygen! She doesn't have much time," Stephen ordered two nurses from their work and they immediately ran over to the oxygen machine above her head. Turning around, he could sense a woman's voice telling him to follow her out onto the balcony.

Looking around, Stephen's weight immediately shifted forward and his astral body jumped from his physical body. Looking around, he saw the Ancient One right in front of him, causing him to jump back.

Signaling him forward, Stephen followed the Ancient One out a window onto the hospital floor balcony. Stephen widened his eyes in awe as he saw New York City shrouded in darkness, stars twinkling in the sky and lightning striking down.

"You're dying. You have to return to your body," Stephen demanded. "You're running out of time."

"Time is relative. Your body hasn't even hit the floor yet," the Ancient One smiled. "I've spent so many years peering through time, looking at this exact moment, but I can't see past it. I've prevented countless terrible futures, and after each one, there is always another. But I fear...this terrible future will be permanent.

Stephen looked at her with a confused look but his eyes widened in horror once he understood what she meant. "Remi…Kaecilius took her!" The Ancient One nodded and looked at Stephen urgently. "You must do whatever you can with your power to get her back. Now that I am gone, I fear my magic can no longer protect her."

"But..." Stephen cleared his throat and spoke carefully. "Remi hates you. Now that she knows who you truly are, she'll never trust you again."

"If she will not listen to my words, then maybe she will listen to the man she loves," the Ancient One grabbed Stephen's hand and looked at him sweetly. "I've always hated drawing power from the Dark Dimension, but sometimes one must break the rules for the greater good. You've changed, Master Strange. You're no longer the arrogant doctor who came to me once before, you now understand that it is not about you."

"I know...but without you, I don't know if I can rescue Remi. In fact, I don't even know where Kaecilius has her. If I can't find her...what will I do?" Stephen looked at her sadly.

"Our magic is connected...I know exactly where she is." The Ancient One's eyes tightened as she stared out at New York City.

* * *

Karl Mordo stood in front of the three doors leading into the three might Sanctums and hung his head to the floor with his arms crossed. A deep sadness reflected in his eyes as he pondered his master's teachings. Everything he had learned, from her teachings to her rules, was a lie. Even though the sanctums were still intact and the globe hung brightly over his head, he could not help but feel an emptiness inside him. His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Stephen step through a gateway, staring at Mordo and shaking his head, indicating that the Ancient One had passed away.

"Remi was right. She wasn't who I thought she was," Kaecilius paced back and forth.

"Mordo, she drew power from the Dark Dimension to _save_ lives, not destroy them. She did it to protect us," Stephen defended.

"Well what if it overtook her?! She told us it was forbidden while she drew on its power to steal centuries of life! Her transgressions lead the zealots to Dormammu. Kaecilius was her fault! Now here we are in the consequences of her deception."

"Mordo, Dormammu isn't here yet, but he will be soon! The zealots have Remi!" Stephen informed her. Mordo looked at him horrified. "You once told me to fight like my life depended on it, now today is that day. If we do not rescue Remi, she will die at the hands of Kaecilius and I will be _damned_ if that happens! I cannot defeat them alone!"

Wong overheard their conversation and stepped out of the shadows. Stephen and Mordo stared at him as he looked at them with startled eyes. Stephen informed him of what was happening before he formed another gateway with his Sling Ring.

"Wait! We do not even know where Kaecilius has her," Mordo stopped Stephen.

"I do. He's holding her in an abandoned cathedral just outside of New York," Stephen looked at Wong.

"Allow me to fight by your side. It's time the Ancient One has been avenged!"

* * *

Remi felt the blackness surrounding her vision start to thinly come apart, allowing her mind to clear and her thoughts to return. Groaning, she slowly opened her eyes and immediately squinted as the bright sunlight started to shroud her vision. Groaning, Remi felt her muscles kick in and she returned to normal. Looking around, Remi slowly tilted her head back and forth to observe the scene. She appeared to be in some sort of huge room, filled with religious images painted all over each stone wall, on the ceiling and on the stained glass windows. There were huge pillars connecting to the floor from the ceiling and there were around thirty or so brown wooden benches aligned in front of a large brown and golden door. Shaking her head to rid her blurry vision, Remi tried to rise to her feet so she could walk around and get a better look, but a loud metal clanking sound echoed through the large room of the cathedral.

Looking down, Remi gasped as she saw two large black metal chains wrapped around her ankles, pinning them against a stone table she lay upon. She kicked her ankles to try and pry the restraints off, but they were tightly bound. Remi moved her arms to lower them, but her gaze shifted upward and she saw the same metal restraints around her wrists above her head. She grunted and moaned as she tried to lower her arms, but yelped in pain when she felt how hard they were when she tried to free herself. Her chest heaved up and down as she looked around the room, confused and terrified.

"Stephen? Where are you?" Remi asked herself as she kept kicking and tugging at the chains. "Stephen?! Is anyone here?! Hello! Mordo, Stephen, Master!" Remi gasped when she realized the Ancient One was no longer alive. She felt herself grow heavy with emotion and she shuddered as the image of Kaecilius piercing his blade through her started to form in her mind. "Master...you're dead...and it's all my fault."

"Of course not. How could it be your fault the Sorcerer Supreme is dead?" a man's deep voice startled her and she looked to her side. Kaecilius stepped out of the shadows with his arms to his side with an emotionless stare. "I'm afraid your magic is useless. These restraints are magic bound."

Remi looked at the chains around her ankles and wrists and surrendered herself from trying to release herself. Kaecilius's frown deepened as he walked to her side, hovering over her as she stared into his terrifying deep blue eyes. Breathing heavily, Remi watched his hand hover above her and lower onto her chest, touching the bare skin that showed through her robes. Whimpering in disgust, she saw his eyes widened and he tightened his hand almost into a fist, causing her to scream out in pain as her blood began to grow hot and tight, as if a thousand knives were stabbing her repeatedly. Remi cried out and struggled as she felt the diamond mosaic marking began to snake their way down her forearms, slithering over until they ended around her palms and the backs of her hands. Remi close her eyes tightly as she felt the same markings form around them, burning a hot orange before settling down. Gasping heavily and clenching her fists tightly, Remi felt as if she were slowly being tortured to death. An amazed and wide eyed Kaecilius released his hand a few seconds later, the pain instantly subsiding and the markings disappeared. Remi sighed deeply and her head fell back onto the stone table.

"Just as I thought. I always thought you were just a normal student, but you're very special, Remi Ramirez. Special indeed!" Remi felt his presence at the crook of her neck and writhed as Kaecilius cupped her face in his hands and pulled her face to his just inches away. "You never cease to amaze me."

"Where am I?" Remi finally asked.

"Where you are is not important. What matters now is you," Kaecilius smiled.

"Where are Stephen and Mordo? The Ancient One..." Remi's eyes widened and she felt tears brim the corners and slide down her cheeks. "My master...you killed her."

"Unfortunately, she was part of the problem," Kaecilius retracted his hands once he felt them grow wet and wiped them on the sides of his robes. "Now that she is gone, you are no longer a prisoner of her magic. You are now mine."

Remi glared at him and she tightened her hands into fists. "I will never help you release Dormammu! I may be in your possession, but I will never be yours!"

Kaecilius looked at her amusingly and scratched his chin, a smirk suddenly crossing his lips. "Not even...for her?"

Remi's glare softened and she grew confused. "Her?"

Signaling his hand forward, Kaecilius did a flicking motion with two fingers and Remi saw the large golden and brown door open, the loud creaking echoing through the large room of the cathedral. She watched as two young women walked into the room, their red hoods shadowing their face. Her eyes widened when she saw they had their arms through someone, an elderly woman wearing a tattered and filthy stained covered pink shirt, torn grey pants with hundreds of holes, her long white hair over her face concealing herself. Remi could hear chains around her wrists. The women took off their hoods, revealing the faces of Katrina and Delilah, and they dropped the woman to the floor. A loud hoarse groan escaped her lips as she fell forward. Remi looked at Kaecilius in confusion and demanded to know whom they were showing.

"Why, you have no idea who she is?" Kaecilius grew surprised. Remi shook her head as he marched towards the old woman, bending down to her level and tucking the long strands of hair from her face. He grabbed her chin and tilted her head upward, the lady's dark golden eyes halfway closed. Remi felt her heart almost drop out of her chest and her whole body went numb. The chains around her ankles and wrists grew excited and they clanked loudly as Remi struggled.

"R-Remi..." Isadora Ramirez groaned.

"Grandmother? Grandmother!" Tears streamed down Remi's cheeks as she swallowed a sore lump in her throat. Her happiness faltered and she seethed at Kaecilius. "What have you done to her?!"

"I've only kept her alive after I decided to spare her life," Kaecilius simply answered.

"Remi. M-my Remi," Isadora groaned but she cried when she felt herself being kicked forward. Delilah pinned a foot against the base of her spine and stepped down hard, causing a hoarse scream to escape Isadora's throat as she felt immense pain shoot up straight into her shoulders.

"Stop, let her go, LET HER GO! She doesn't need to see this," Remi's body began to shake as she looked at Kaecilius through watery eyes. Kaecilius frowned and he got up from Isadora's position, staring at her with rage-filled eyes. "I thought you would be happier to see her."

"Let go of her! Release her, dammit!" Remi snapped as the echo of chains bounced off the walls.

Gritting his teeth, Kaecilius folded his hands together and marched towards Isadora with a Time Shard grasped in one. Delilah stepped back and Isadora felt herself yanked from on her stomach into his strong arms, one wrapped around her chest as she felt the pressure of a sharp blade pressed against her throat. Remi started sobbing as she shook her head, pleading with him to release her grandmother.

"I guess keeping her alive was a waste of time, and after all the hard work I've put in, you really don't care what happens to her, don't you? That's fine with me! No need to waste anymore space!"

Isadora gasped as she saw the Time Shard rise from her throat into the air. Remi screamed for him to stop, but Kaecilius swung hard and a gurgle escaped Isadora's lips. Remi's eyes widened when she saw what Kaecilius had done. Delilah and Katrina stared down as he shifted his gaze from the elderly woman to Remi. Tears endlessly poured from her eyes as she looked away. "Ok, ok."

Isadora's chest grew heavy as the Time Shard was only centimeters away from puncturing a main artery in her throat, but Kaecilius had stopped just barely in time when he heard Remi scream out his name in agony. The blade disappearing, he dropped Isadora to the floor and rose to his feet, walking back towards Remi as she slowly turned her head, droplets rolling down her face through squinted eyes.

"Good girl," Kaecilius stroked her forehead and turned back to Delilah and Katrina, ordering Isadora to be taken back to her cell. Delilah nodded and roughly grabbed the back of Isadora's shirt, dragging her across the floor to the large door while Katrina stayed behind.

"No Remi, don't do this! Just let me die, _just let me die_!" Isadora wailed as the door closed behind her and Delilah.

"Abuela, I'm sorry," Remi tearfully apologized. "I'm the one who's going to die. I'll never see you again."

Kaecilius turned his attention from the door towards her. "No. You dying? I could never allow that to happen!" he walked behind Remi and cupped her face in his hands once more, wiping his thumbs across her wet eyes. "Once Dormammu is here, I will make sure he never harms you. I will teach you the ways of his magic and transform you into a super soldier, _my_ super soldier!"

Remi growled and shot him a deadly look. "I'd rather die than fight by your side!"

Kaecilius chuckled and bent towards her ear. "You've already made your choice."

Remi gasped and her head fell back onto the stone table. She tightened her hands into fists and felt more tears flow from her eyes, soaking her cheeks. Gasping for breath, she felt Kaecilius's thumbs caress her cheeks. She never understood how someone evil and dangerous could be so gentle. "Do not cry, my dear. It will be over soon."

"Please stop. I don't want this." Remi whimpered as she closed her eyes. Kaecilius only smiled and watched Katrina walk forward. Releasing his grip from Remi, he walked in front of her and commanded to prepare for the final ritual. Katrina nodded and walked to Remi's side. Giving her a wicked smile, the apprentice zealot rose her arms over her head and started a circular motion, repeating the same movements until a ball of yellow and silver light started to appear over her. It was not that big but Kaecilius's eyes widened and his smile grew. Suddenly, Remi cried out in pain as she felt the same marking snake their way down her arms and over her eyes, sending hot flares of pain shooting through her body. Remi screamed and struggled as Kaecilius watched her. The markings pulsated blue and Remi's eyes shot open, revealing a white film over pupils. Kaecilius soon rose his hands over her chest and began to chant, causing her body to convulse even harder.

"I take this woman and release you from your prison!" Kaecilius tightened his lips and slammed one hand down hard against her chest. A halted gasp escape Remi and her eyes widened. Her back arched upward and she felt her body go from numb to normal, hot to cold, all the feeling coming together. Shuttering, Remi fell back onto the stone table and her eyes rolled back into her head, engulfed by a tornado of blackness. Just as the chaos had ended, the whole cathedral grew silent. Kaecilius lowered his hands and walked back to Remi's side. At first, the markings did nothing, but after some moments, they began to pulsate from yellow to blue. His eyes narrowed and a wide smile spread across his lips.

"She's starting to surrender," he turned towards Katrina. "Dormammu is coming!"

* * *

To Be Continued

Here it is, another chapter! This time it's longer and I'm happy how it turned out! Although on the other side, it also appears that it doesn't have much longer to go, which makes me sad. :(

All thoughts aside, _don't forget to leave your reviews!_ Flames and all are welcomed. :)

See ya next chapter! :)


	16. Chapter 15

Changing Hearts

Chapter 15

Kaecilius, Katrina, and Delilah all stood around Remi in amazement. Looking around her, the markings on Remi's arms pulsated a dark purplish blue, her eyes were a deep blood red, and a wicked smile spread across her face. She observed herself as she turned her hands over, gazing at the light reflecting off her skin. Rolling her shoulders back and sighing deeply, she turned around to the others and stared at Kaecilius. "How do you feel, my dear?"

"I feel…amazing _,"_ Remi's dark voice echoed off the walls.

"You are amazing, Remi. Come, we have much work to do," Kaecilius gestured towards the door. He and the two women started walking towards it but stopped when they heard Remi scoff.

"I'm not ready yet! These robes…" Remi scowled at the white robes she had on and shuttered at her choice of footwear. "These robes are too repulsive to wear for the arrival of a God. I need something more _me._ "

They all looked at her confused but watched as she waved her hands above her head, blue light buzzing through her fingers and out her palms. With a loud grunt, Remi's eyes turned white and lightning shot out of her hands all the way around. Kaecilius and his two apprentices shielded their eyes as Remi watched the electricity engulf her like a tornado. A wide smile spread across her face as she watched her clothing transform. Her white robes turned to black and dark purple, a sash appearing over her waist, her pants disappearing into a long flowing skirt. Her shirt dissovled into a black crisscross halter top, separate long sleeves snaking around her fore arms in the form of purple smoke. Once the smoke settled, it hugged her arms and black sleeves with light violet snakes circling around stopped at the back of her hands. Her sandals were replaced with long, leathery boots as more smoke engulfed her legs, hugging her lower calves until her sandals disappeared. She waved her fingers over her head and her medium length hair pinned itself back into a half ponytail with the sides braided. Once she felt her appearance was satisfying, Remi waved both her hands out and the electricity cleared around her.

Delilah and Katrina watched in shock as she showed them her new appearance. Remi was now wearing a long purple and black crisscross halter top dress with a front slit, black boots showing out the front. A purple sash was across her waist and two big purple snakes made their way down the separate sleeves on her forearms. Tucking of her now half braided hair behind her ears, she chuckled darkly as Kaecilius stared at her new appearance with an awestruck face.

"That's better." She stared at the gawking threesome.

* * *

Stephen, Wong, and Mordo jumped through the gateway from Kamar-Taj leading to the location of where Remi was being held. The three realized where they had come. They were in a large forest surrounded by trees, the sky dark grey with clouds rotating in the air. The wind was whipping heavily to the point where one had lost all of its leaves entirely. Stephen shielded his face from the whipping wind and looked around. A tannish gravely trail stood out from the forest around them, and they followed it to the abandoned cathedral, Stephen in the front with Wong forming last. Sprinting, they all had to use their magic to prevent the wind from hurling them down the small hill to their death. Once they reached the top, Stephen held his arms out to stop Mordo and Wong from running anymore.

Bug-eyed looks spread across their facial features as they came to a large cathedral in the middle of the woods. It had a structure that reminded Stephen of Belvedere Castle in New York, though it was bigger in size. The roof was black and it was made from a bunch of heavy grey colored rocks, two torches on each side of the large brown and golden door. There were small windows on certain areas of the cathedral, each with a single torch underneath the sill. Mordo and Wong thought they could stare at the amazing structure of beauty in front of them, but Stephen glared at it with all his might.

"C'mon…we need to get Remi!" he snapped as they saw a large purplish black cloud swirl over the roof. All three ran towards the cathedral with weapons ready. With one strong kick, the large door burst open and Stephen stepped inside first followed by the two behind him. Looking around, they realized it was much bigger on the inside than the outside. There were religious painting scattered across, up and down on the walls and the stained glass windows were covered in every inch of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. Giant pillars connecting from the floor to the ceiling held up the large structure, and there were endless rows of brown benches for people to sit on. Lastly, Stephen and Mordo saw a huge grand organ in the middle of the wall. However, despite its beauty, they could tell it had been abandoned for some time as it was covered in nothing but spider webs, dirt, and the paintings on the walls were peeling to the point where the yellow stained walls looked like they were bare.

"Remi!" Stephen called out. His voice echoed off the walls but it was silent. "Remi, where are you?!"

"Stephen!" Wong tugged at his arms and saw someone walking forward. Glaring ahead of him, Stephen saw it was a female figure with a black hood covering her head. Tightening his fists, Stephen waved them out and two Mandala Shields appeared. Despite Mordo's warning not to fight early, Stephen marched towards the hooded woman.

"Who are you?! What have you done with Remi?!" Stephen demanded dangerously.

"You're looking right at her," the woman's voice sounded almost autotuned. Smirking, she lowered her hood and Stephen's glare twisted into a horrifying expression. It was indeed Remi, though at the same time, she did not look like the real one. Stephen saw her eyes were a deep dangerous red and the markings surrounding them pulsate purplish blue. When she threw back her cloak, she was not wearing her normal robes, but she was wearing a black and purple dress with black leather boots. Her hair was pinned back into a half ponytail with braided sides, and she stood there smiling evilly.

"Remi? Is…is that you?" Stephen asked.

"Why, of course it is, Stephen Strange," Remi's voice changed from its robotic nature to her normal one, though it was deeper and darker than he had imagined. "You wouldn't recognize your own girlfriend?"

"You're _not_ my girlfriend," Stephen snarled, causing the woman to chuckle deeply. "I guess I take you don't like the new me!"

The sound of clapping bouncing off the walls interrupted their conversation. Mordo and Wong looked from behind Stephen and saw Kaecilius appear out of the shadows, clapping his hands together repeatedly in a round of applause as he stood next to Remi, a triumphant smile spread across his face.

"Gentlemen, it was nice of you to join us," The master sorcerer greeted the three. He paid special attention to Stephen. "Isn't she beautiful, Mr. Strange?"

Stephen stayed silent as Kaecilius continued to speak. "I've turned her into something greater. No longer is she bound by the Ancient One's pathetic magic. With a little bit of coaxing, I was able to release her powers…and transform her into the soldier she truly is."

"You didn't help her! You've turned her into a _monster!"_

Remi's smile faltered as that word echoed in her head, _Monster, monster, monster!_ She could hear her mother's tone taking over Stephen's voice. A shaky groan escaped her throat followed by a loud yell, blue light escaping the palms of her hands. All three grew shocked at her appearance. The lightning disappeared from her hands as she took in deep breaths and let them out her nose.

"Monster?! You think I'm a monster?! _You're the monster!"_ Remi screamed as she pointed at Stephen.

"No, Remi, I didn't mean…" Stephen stopped his words. _"That's not the real Remi. She's being possessed by Kaecilius."_

"If you think I'm a monster, I'll show you hell!" Remi snapped as she signaled her hand forward. Stephen, Wong, and Mordo turned around and saw Katrina and Delilah, two Time Shards formed in each of their hands. Yelling at them to kill them, Delilah and Katrina charged forward and began to go after Stephen.

Mordo and Wong jumped in front of them and began clashing. Grabbing the staff of the Living Tribunal off his back, Mordo swung it at Delilah and wrapped it around her abdomen, sending her flying into the wooden benches up against a pillar. Wong used the Wand of Watoomb, reflecting Katrina's Time Shard until it appeared out of one of the ends. He swung it over her head and across her stomach, the young woman barely being able to dodge it as Wong swung the wand over her head. Stephen watched as they continued to clash with the two zealots, whirling his head around in the nick of time to see Remi and Kaecilius disappear from the worship hall as they assumed they would be busy for a while. He turned back to Wong and Mordo as he was hesitant to leave them to fend for themselves.

"Stephen, go!" Mordo shouted as he kicked Delilah aside. "We can take care of them!"

"But…"

"You heard him, Mr. Strange! Find Remi!" Wong jumped in the air to avoid a blade being swung against his chest. "We will be fine."

Stephen nodded sadly and headed out of the hall for Kaecilius and the woman he loved.

* * *

Kaecilius and Remi stood out in the backyard of the cathedral. Three giant stones with ancient writing glowed purple once Remi's appearance was sensed. The water in a fountain surrounded by angels rippled peacefully until Remi stepped forward, the water beginning to wave chaotically. Looking down, Remi saw her reflection in the dark violet water and stared at Kaecilius.

"It is time, Remi," he walked beside her. "You know what must be done."

"Master, before I start," Remi looked down sadly. "Do you consider me a monster?"

Kaecilius tilted his head to the side but chuckled. "Do not listen to what that arrogant doctor has to say. You're beautiful, Remi, now do what must be done."

Smiling and nodding, Remi cracked her knuckles and waved her hands out in front of her. The purple water in the fountain began to ripple upward, splashing until it reached an amazing height of at least twenty feet. White film appearing over her eyes, Remi bent slightly backwards until she felt the dark power flowing inside her.

"Dormammu, Lord of the Dark Dimension, I call you! Take this world and claim it as your own!" Shoving her hands downward and clapping them together, black lightning began to crackle from the purple water of the fountain, forming a large ball and shooting for the sky. Remi and Kaecilius watched as the sky began to turn purple, blue, all colors of the rainbow, galaxies and atom shaped structures surrounding the sky. The Dark Dimension began to drop down and consume the trees, turning them completely to dust and eating up the grass. Kaecilius looked at Remi and proudly put a hand on her shoulder. "You did it, my dear! You're a true master sorceress!"

"I wouldn't call her a 'master sorceress'," Remi and Kaecilius turned around and saw Stephen come walking towards them. Frowning and glaring, Kaecilius stepped in front of her. "What are you doing here, Mr. Strange?"

"First things first, it's Doctor Strange to you. Second, hand over my girlfriend or you'll die!" Stephen ordered, cracking an Eldritch Whip against the pavement. Turning his head to Remi and back to the doctor, Kaecilius have him an evil smirk. "With pleasure."

Snapping his fingers, a war yell escaped Remi's throat as she sprinted towards Stephen with two large blue blades in her hands. Taken aback, Stephen backed away as Remi swung her blades above her head and right towards him. He barely made an Eldritch Whip and knocked the blades out of her hands, blue light dissipating. Remi growled and snapped her fingers, a large electric blue spear forming in her hands. Gripping it tightly, she swung it above her head and towards Stephen. Two Mandala Shields appeared in his hand and he blocked the tip, spinning behind Remi and kicking her in the base of the spine, sending her forward to the ground hard on her stomach.

"Remi, I don't want to fight you! If there's any sign, please show me!" Stephen pleaded. Remi swung her legs over her head and landed with her back towards him. "The woman you love no longer exists, Stephen. The new me does!" Growling, she spun around and blue electricity began to form around her.

Stephen's eyes widened in horror as two large whips formed in her hands. Each had small spikes on the ends and they were glowing brightly. Chuckling, Remi ordered Stephen to come after her. Forming two more Mandala Shields in his hands, Stephen ran for her and clashed against her. He blocked the stinging whips with his shields, but cried out when he felt the lightning tear at the fabric of his robes. Small rips began to appear as Remi swung one over her head. Stephen felt the end tie around his hand and Remi smirked. Electricity flowed around his body, causing him to scream as he felt his skin burn from the intensity of the pain. Once the lightning disappeared, Stephen's legs began to shake.

"Give up, Stephen!" Remi snapped as she swung each whip against the now defenseless doctor. Stephen groaned in pain as he felt each hit after hit. The whips tore into his robes, cutting away fabric that exposed parts of his sides and arms. The Cloak of Levitation tried its best to protect Stephen from the hits, but even it felt the power and it had to retract to make sure it did not get destroyed. Panting heavily, Remi grunted as she wrapped one whip around his abdomen, tugging him hard and sending him flying against the fountain. Stephen screamed as he felt his back hit the cement.

Remi observed him as he weakly got back to his feet. His knees were bent slightly inward and he held his side. The fabric around his sleeves exposed his elbow and the lower left of both arms, some of his sides, and his shoulders. All in all, Remi was shocked that he was still able to get to his feet and endure that much electricity she had sent his way. Regaining some of his strength, Stephen stood straight in the air and his cloak flew in the wind.

"Impossible! To think that you were able to take in that many hits with almost no scratches…maybe you are something greater." The electric whips in her hands disappeared and Kaecilius watched her walk towards Stephen. "You're pathetic, Stephen. Are you taking hits because you want to or…or are you still in love with me?" she asked in a mock baby voice.

"Remi…" Stephen lowered his head and gritted his teeth. The young woman chuckled. "Weak and pitiful. You're nothing but a waste of space. Time to die now, Doctor!" Remi folded her two hands together for another weapon, but stopped when she saw Stephen limp towards her.

"Remi…look at what you've become," Stephen motioned to the fountain. Growing confused, Remi turned and saw the purple and black electrifying water shooting upward at the sky, colorful galaxies taking over. "Your power is killing you, Remi. Is this who you truly are?"

Growling, Remi shot her head around and glared at Stephen. "You have no idea what I am! I told you…I'm a monster!"

Kaecilius looked confused as the way she spoke. He remembered her being so confident in her abilities, but now she was calling herself a monster? This was unlike her. His mind was telling him to do something but he stood there and watched Stephen continue towards her.

"No, you're not a monster, Remi. You're kind, smart, and you give a damn about what happens to others! I…I know when we first met we never got along, and we only thought of one another as strangers, but…but I hated myself when I arrived at Kamar-Taj. You changed me, Remi, turned me into someone that I want to be!"

Remi felt a sharp pain shoot through her temples and she held them, crying out to Stephen to stay away from her.

"Remi…I'm sorry the Ancient One couldn't protect you from Kaecilius, and I'm sorry for how I treated you, but I want you to know that you mean more to me than anything. I…I…"

"Stop! STOP!" Remi screamed as she felt Stephen's arms wrap around her. Her eyes widened in confusion and she tried to push Stephen away from her, but she felt herself powerless to stop him. "I love you, Remi Ramirez."

"No, get away from me! No!" Remi shook her head and tried to pull away from him again, but gasped when Stephen tilted her chin up and press his lips against hers. Remi's red eyes widened and she felt his grip tighten.

" _She was able to fall this low to Strange's power!? Impossible!"_ Kaecilius glared and balled one hand into a fist. "Kill him, Remi! Kill him now!" He saw her wide eyes and she was not moving.

Remi's head began to throb as she felt a wave of thoughts come rushing towards her. From their first meeting to the kisses they shared, to the images of her past with the fun times she shared with her grandmother and aunt, to when she first arrived at Kamar-Taj to now. Closing her eyes tightly, Stephen finally released her as he watched her drop to the ground in pain. Remi screamed uncontrollably as she rolled back and forth on her back, feeling the dark power snaking through her system suddenly feel as if she had a million knives and Tasers going at her all at once, slowly torturing her body until she fell to the ground dead. The markings around her eyes and arms began to pulsate wildly from blue to yellow.

A final wail escaped Remi's throat until she felt the pain subside. The markings' last color pulsated yellow until the light disappeared. Remi's eyes rolled into her head and she fell to her side. The markings around her arms and eyes started to glow orange until they slowly dissolved, disappearing into thin air. Kaecilius's eyes widened as he watched her unconscious body on the ground. Looking to his left, he saw Mordo and Wong running onto the battlefield looking as stunned as he did.

"Remi? Remi!" Stephen shouted as he ran towards her. Bending down, he quickly picked up her unconscious body and felt her face. Her skin was cold and clammy to the touch, almost as if she lay dead in his arms.

"Remi, are you ok? Can you hear me? It's Stephen! Remi, please! Answer me!" Stephen begged as he shook her lifeless form. Remi's head fell back limply in his arms and her eyes remained clothes. Stephen's eyes widened in horrific realization and tears began to form. Gritting his teeth, he held his girlfriend's body closed to his chest and pressed his forehead against hers.

" _What have I done?"_ Stephen tearfully thought as a hoarse cry escaped his throat. "My Remi…"

Immediately after he said those words, he felt a slight twitch coming from Remi's body. Opening his tear-filled eyes, he thought he felt her body shift and looked down, but so far only saw her lifeless body cradled against his chest. However, the more he stared, the more he felt her weight shift. His red eyes widened as he saw her fingers and eyelids twitch. A soft moan escaped her lips and they began to quiver before her eyes fluttered open. The neurosurgeon saw they were no longer a deep blood red color but the normal golden amber with dark yellow pupils. She blinked a couple of times before groaning, shifting her weight until she was comfortably fit in his arms.

"S-S-St-Steph-phen?" Remi stuttered as she tilted her head to meet his gaze.

"Remi? Remi, are you ok?" Stephen asked softly.

"Stephen?" Remi shook her head and immediately, her eyes widened and filled with tears. "Stephen!" Rising from his arms, she smiled widely and pressed her lips against his in a quick kiss. Stephen continued to kiss her as he lifted her bridal style and spun her around, a smile crossing his face as their lips parted and they stared into each other's gaze. Mordo and Wong continued to look on shocked as they saw Remi was back to normal. Stephen released Remi and she landed on the ground on her feet.

"Stephen, I'm so sorry. I tried to fight him, I did, but when I saw my grandmother, I…" Remi's words stopped there and she shot Kaecilius a dangerous gaze. "He has my grandmother!"

Growing shocked and confused, Stephen stared at Kaecilius just as Mordo and Wong did thunder crackled in the air. Turning around, Remi's eyes widened in horror as the Dark Dimension devoured everything in its path. Almost half the forest had been eaten and the trees disappeared. They heard a cracking sound and the huge cathedral was already crumbling, the roof already gone and the rocks getting sucked in.

"The Dark Dimension…Dormammu is coming," Mordo walked over to Remi and Stephen with a forlorn expression reflecting in his eyes. "It's too late, nothing can stop him."

They saw Katrina and Delilah walk towards Kaecilius who chuckled. "You may have won Remi back, but you cannot fight the inevitable," he walked in front of the two girls with arms wide open. "Isn't it beautiful? A world beyond time. Beyond death."

Remi gasped when he had spoken those words. She looked up as a ghostly growl echoed through the entire forest and shook the ground they were standing on. "This is all my fault."

"What? Remi, no…"

"I've caused this, now I have to stop it. Kaecilius!" Remi called and he turned towards her. "You told me I'm special, right? I now know my true destiny!"

Stephen watched as she channeled magic into the souls of her feet and leaped into the air, using Eldritch magic in the bottoms of her feet to run in the air straight for the Dark Dimension. Stephen cried out her name but she disappeared before he could reach her.

"We have to end this now! Stephen…" but when Wong turned to the Doctor, he commanded The Cloak of Levitation and it lifted him into the air. Stephen flew straight for the Dark Dimension as well, right after Remi.

"They're gone. They have left and surrendered to his power." Kaecilius smiled as he saw the Dark Dimension continue to devour Earth.

* * *

Looking around, Remi saw she was completely surrounded by atomic structures and millions of galaxies. She could hear the painful cries of voices pleading for their lives to be released, mindless forms floating around her, some tugging at the ashen skin, purple vapor cracking through the slits. Remi gasped and quickly turned away, realizing she needed to find Dormammu fast before the Earth was done for. She channeled more magic into her feet and ran through the air, past more balls of floating light and galaxies until she landed on a large one. Her body froze in fear when she heard a demonic like chuckle.

"Well, well, if it isn't the human who set me free!" Slowly turning around, Remi stumbled backward when she saw she was staring into none other than the purple eyes of Dormammu himself! He was a giant supernatural being, outweighing Earth than anyone else, and he shook Remi to her core.

"What brings you to my world, human? Do you seek to rule Earth by my side?" Dormammu gave her a wicked smile.

"No. I've come to kill you!" Remi snapped as she rose into the air. An Eldritch Whip formed in her hands, making Dormammu laugh. His laughter shook the Dark Dimension, causing Remi to fall back to the ground, her whip disappearing from her hands.

"Foolish child, you cannot kill a God!" Dormammu held out two giant arms and flew in closer, his giant face only inches from her bug-like stature. "But since you were the one who freed me, I have no desire in killing you. Join me by my side, and I will make you my queen!"

Before Remi could answer, she turned around and her eyes widened when she saw Stephen come flying to her aide. Getting to her feet, she watched as Stephen ran beside her. "Dormammu, I've come to bargain!"

"You've come to die! Your world is now my world, like all others," Dormammu hissed. Remi gasped and ran in front of Stephen with her arms out. "If you want him…you'll have to kill me first."

Dormammu's smile faltered when he saw the glare in her eyes. He stared at Stephen and Remi for a few seconds before glaring at them with rage filled purple eyes. "No one has ever defied me before! Have it your way! You die with him!"

"No!" Stephen went to push her out of the way but Remi closed her eyes and waited for the impact. Dormammu raised one monster fist in the air and slammed it down on the defenseless couple, but he shot his hand back when he felt yellow light burn right through his arm. Groaning loudly, he saw the skin around his glowing arm turn yellow, but immediately formed back. "What is this?!"

"This…this is the Ancient One's power!" The marking around Remi's arms suddenly came back, but they were no longer painful. Instead of the bright blue color they once were, they were now a bright yellow. Remi's eyes lit up a deep bright yellow and she held out her arms in the air, floating upward until she met Dormammu's gaze. Stephen's eyes widened in shock, but his cloak pulled in him into the air until he was floating by her side.

"You cannot kill me, pathetic human! Remember, I am a God!" Dormammu snarled.

"That may be true…but I can purify this world of your evil," Remi smirked. Tightening her hands into fists, she started to speak in a language that she never knew she could speak. Stephen looked around as the same color glowing from Remi's marking suddenly started to crawl all over the Dark Dimension. Remi continued to chant heavier until her voice was loud. A tornado of yellow engulfed her and Stephen. Grabbing onto his hand, Stephen felt her magic pass through him until his blue eyes lit up the same color as hers. He began to chant the same words she did, but felt like he had no control over his own body.

"No! You cannot stop this!" Dormammu tried to kill them again, but stopped once he saw the astral body of the Ancient One appear before him. "Impossible! How could this be?! YOU'RE DEAD!"

The Ancient One did not speak but folded her hands in front of her face and outward. Dormammu screamed as he felt the Dark Dimension began to shrink back from the Earth around him. The sky that was filled with grey and black cloud suddenly began to disappear. The grass and trees stopped blowing wildly in the wind and the air started to slowly come to a calm. Stephen and Remi's chanting grew louder as Dormammu screamed out for them to stop.

Before everyone knew it, Remi and Stephen were flung backwards out of the Dark Dimension onto the hard, grassy Earth below them, their vision engulfed by blackness.

* * *

Stephen opened his eyes and saw that he was in a universe filled with nothing but darkness. Remi's astral body appeared before his and she and him floated towards one another, clasping their hands together until they saw there was nothing in front of them. Looking around, they grew confused until another astral body began to appear in front of them.

"Greetings, my students," it was the Ancient One.

"Master!" Remi tearfully greeted as she floated towards her. She tried to wrap her arms around her but they went through her body. Remi gasped and floated away from her back to Stephen's side. "Master…you're really dead, aren't you?"

"Unfortunately, this will be our last physical meeting together. I was able to use the last bit of strength I had to help you defeat Dormammu and reverse time. The world looks as if the Dark Dimension had never invaded Earth."

"How were you able to do that?!" Stephen was in shock.

"I have learned countless spells over hundreds of years, and with each one, you learn something new every day. I told Dormammu to never return to Earth and reverse his spell."

Remi and Stephen watched as she floated towards them and put her hands on their shoulders. "You have made me immensely proud the both of you. In all my years, I have never seen students work so hard to protect the world."

Remi smiled but looked down and sighed. "Master, I'm so sorry for how I treated you. Please for-" the Ancient One shushed her and put a finger to her lips. Telling her there is nothing to forgive, she took her hand back and smiled before floating away.

"I will always be watching over you all. Now, with the very last bit of my power, I command both of you to return to your bodies!"

Clapping her hands together, Remi and Stephen cried when their vision was blurred by a huge blast of white light.

* * *

Mordo and Wong ran to Stephen and Remi when he saw them rise from the ground. The scenery around them had completely changed from the Dark Dimension to a peaceful blue and green Earth. The cathedral that was once crumbling to bits now stood perfectly intact with no sign of damage in sight. Remi and Stephen rose to their feet and were greeted by Mordo and Wong.

"How in the world were you able to defeat Dormammu?" Wong demanded.

"We did it with the help of the Ancient One." Remi smiled at Stephen and clasped her hand around his. He smiled back and leaned in, pressing his lips against hers in a passionate kiss before turning back to them. "What happened to Kaecilius and the zealots?"

"They just…vanished?" Wong and Mordo had trouble thinking of words and Wong scratched the back of his head. Stephen and Remi smiled at them before Remi realized she had almost forgotten something, or at least someone. Reminding Stephen that her grandmother was still alive, she ran back for the cathedral, with all three of them following behind her.

Opening the door to the worship hall, Remi ran inside and looked around the large room. Her heart beat rapidly as she tried to find any sign of Isadora, until her head shot towards the grand piano. An elderly woman with long matted silvery white hair was standing in front of it, her hands against her sides gripping her dirty pink shirt. Tears forming in her eyes, she called out her grandmother's name. Isadora turned around and saw her granddaughter running towards her. Cries escaped her throat as she wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a deep hug as sobs wrecked through their body. Remi held onto her grandmother tightly and buried her face into the crook of her neck, sobbing at how she could not believe that she was alive after so long.

Isadora held onto her granddaughter as she was finally able to hold her in many years she thought were never going to come. When she was in her cell with tears streaming down her face, she felt a strong whirlwind shoot through her body and knock her to the ground. Her vision grew blurry and she fell into a world of unconsciousness before a woman's voice commanded her to wake up. Once she opened her eyes, she found she was no longer in her cell, but in the middle of the huge worship room in front of the large grand organ. She sobbed her beloved's name over and over again until her throat grew sore with emotion.

Stephen smiled and walked towards the two embraced women. Wiping her eyes after several minutes of crying, Remi slowly pulled away from Isadora but kept one arm around her shoulders as she introduced Stephen. He tried to shake her hand but the old woman pulled him forward into a tight embrace, sobbing at how grateful she was that she rescued her beloved Remi. Stephen wrapped one arm around her and rubbed her back. Isadora pulled away after a few seconds and walked back towards Remi, wrapping an arm around her back. She saw Wong and Mordo walk over moments later.

"We did it!" Wong declared happily. He unhooked his Sling Ring from his belt and formed a gateway back to Kamar-Taj. Looking at Isadora in Remi's arms, he smiled. "Let's go home."

Nodding, Stephen watched Remi help her grandmother to the portal, but they all stopped when they heard Mordo scoff. "Yes…we did it…by also violating the natural laws."

"Mordo, you don't understand. The Ancient One drew power from the Dark Dimension to prevent terrible futures from happening, not to destroy them!" Stephen snapped.

"He's right, Mordo. You can't possibly think she's the bad guy after she _just_ helped us stop Dormammu and Kaecilius!" Remi hugged her grandmother tightly.

Shaking his head, Mordo turned to them angrily. "You still think there will be no consequences, no price to pay? You are fools to believe that she is a saint! The bill comes due…always! I will follow this path no longer."

Remi and Stephen stayed silent as they watched Mordo walk towards the large brown and golden door, giving them a disappointed glance before opening it and slamming it shut. Shaking his head, Stephen tried to run after him but Wong put a hand on his shoulder, indicating that even if he tried to pursue him to come back, there was no hope in saving him. Nodding in understanding, all four followed Wong back into Kamar-Taj.

* * *

To Be Continued

This is another long chapter for you all! After this, there is one chapter left and that is the end of the story sadly. :( but I am happy that I have written this and I am so proud of how it turned out. :)

 _Do not forget to leave reviews!_ Flames and all are welcomed.

See ya for the final chapter! :)


	17. The End

Changing Hearts

Final Chapter

Mordo stood outside the large door of the cathedral and looked at the sunny blue sky. No longer were the clouds dark, stormy and evil, but puffy and white, filled with joy as millions of birds were tweeting and chittering in the trees surrounding the large abandoned structure. He had not really walked away after declaring that the purpose he had served his entire life was a lie once he realized Remi Ramirez and Stephen Strange were just like the Ancient One, cold and callous liars. He never imagined Remi going down the path she did, tapping into her dark powers to release Dormammu and using the former Sorcerer Supreme's aide to prevent the Dark Dimension from engulfing Earth entirely.

Rolling his shoulders back and sighing deeply, Mordo stuck one hand into his left pant pocket and dug through until he felt his fingers wrap around a piece of paper. Taking his hand out he saw that he had grabbed a photograph out of his pocket and unfolded it. He saw that it was a photograph of Remi with an arm wrapped around him on the training grounds, smiling as she held out the Whip of The Crying Beast. It was from when she received her first relic from the Ancient One and she was so excited she asked a student with a camera to take a picture of her and Mordo to show that she was so grateful for his determination to help her.

Teeth gritting, Mordo clutched the photo tightly. "At long last…I realize what must be done." he told himself. With a strong grip he tore the photo in half and dropped it into the grass, the wind carrying it through the air straight into the clouds. Sighing deeply, he made his way from the abandoned cathedral and disappeared into the forest.

* * *

 **Several Months Later…**

Remi and Isadora sat across from each other, hand in hand, in the middle of the training grounds of Kamar-Taj. Their heads turned around them as they watched Wong walk in circles, sprinkling tiny particles of orange Eldritch Magic all over their bodies. Stephen watched intently with his arms crossed as Wong continued to perform the spell until he stopped in the middle between them. He had been informed that it was a certain spell that would allow both women to connect with the afterlife, and if it was performed just right, there would be no concern about affecting time and the real world around them.

"Are you sure you both are ready for this?" Wong stopped sprinkling the orange particles around them and straightened his back. "It has not even been a year yet. If I were both of you, I'd take some time to heal the emotional scars that were afflicted upon you."

Remi stayed silent as Isadora shook her head and gripped her hands tightly. "We have given it some thought, but we feel this is necessary, Wong. I may have suffered greatly at the hands of Kaecilius, but my faith never wavered. He may have taken my magic…but he never took away the love for my granddaughter!"

Remi smiled as she tried to blink back tears without disrupting the spell. Wong smiled a bit and nodded, raising his hands over his head and beginning to chat words in a language that Stephen still had trouble understanding. The doctor watched as he slammed his hands down in a hard clap, commanding Isadora and Remi to enter the afterlife. Both of their eyes opened and their mouths dropped, yellow light pouring out. Stephen's mouth gaped as the real magic began. Wong continuously waved his hands over his head as he carefully monitored them.

* * *

Isadora and Remi opened their eyes as they looked around them. They saw they were surrounded by a realm similar to the Dark Dimension, only this time it was not a deep dark purple and there were no atomic like planets surrounding them. The galaxy was a navy-blue color, stars dancing all around them and lightning shooting from the big puffballs of air. When they saw a long streak of lightning coming towards them, they tried to get out of the way, but the electricity shot right through them without electrocuting.

Isadora and Remi looked at each other. At first it seemed like Wong had lead them in the wrong direction until their eyes came to a figure that stood out from the galaxies around them. They immediately floated towards it and saw it was another woman. She had long white hair that was floating in all direction and she was in a fetal position. She had a faded blue jean jacket on and her jeans were severely worn to the point where the left leg was nothing but string running up and down. Both of the ladies saw that her body was trembling and when they leaned in closer, they could hear faint whispers escaping her lips. The words were hard to make out, but they jumped back when she started to groan and a loud gasped hissed through the air. The trembling never ceased and a low chuckle escaped her throat.

"Magic is forbidden…" the woman lowly to herself. "Forbidden!"

Isadora's eyes widened as she immediately recognized the voice. "K-K-Katyana?" The woman appeared not to have heard her.

Remi's eyes were as big as her grandmother's and she tapped her on the shoulder. "Mom? Is that you?"

The woman's trembling ceased and her head shot around, causing the both of them to float backward a bit from her. Isadora wanted to sob at her daughter's appearance. The years of alcohol abuse had taken a toll on her body, her whole was completely red and her once beautiful amber eyes were now pale and bloodshot. Her skin appeared severely dry and she did not look like the radiant young woman she was before.

Katyana Ramirez stared at the two of them and her eyes narrowed and yellow teeth showed through the thin skin of her lips. "You! What're you two doing here?! Haven't you ruined my life enough?!"

Remi and Isadora looked at each other but remained silent. Katyana sucked in air and straightened out her back but they saw she was completely hunched over, giving her the appearance of an actual witch. "Well you just look so swell don't you, Remi? Hand in hand with the woman I used to call mother, the woman who ruined my life!"

"That is enough, Katyana," Isadora demanded, holding her granddaughter's hand tightly. "Do not have that attitude with my Remi."

"Your Remi?!" Katyana snarled. "She is the one I have given birth to! You have no right to call her your own!"

"I am only hers," Remi stepped in front of Isadora and glared at her mother. "I remember you abandoned me and called me "a spawn of Satan." You told me I was not your daughter and God would have not blessed you with a demon child."

Katyana was about to retort but had no words to say. Remi shook her head and floated back towards her grandmother. It was several minutes and Katyana stared at them in silence before angrily turning back around and crossing her arms. "What do you want me to say? Are you expecting an apology, because if you are, you'll get none from me!"

Isadora shook her head and tugged at Remi's short, forcing her forward as Katyana turned back around. "I just wanted to let you know, mother, that the abuse I have suffered from your hands did not break me. I should thank you, because if it wasn't for your hard teaching, my magic wouldn't have increased tenfold."

Katyana looked at her confused before turning back to Isadora. "Magic? What does she mean?"

Isadora stayed silent as her granddaughter continued to speak. "You have no idea what I've been through, don't you? I have been living at Kamar-Taj for three years now, training under a woman named the Ancient One. I tried to destroy the world with dark powers I tried to control, to release chaos, but…I made friends who helped me through my trauma and now I accept my powers."

"Grandmother was kept prisoner by a man under the name Kaecilius. He tried to use me to end the world and release the Dark Dimension upon Earth, and he almost succeeded, but I immediately remembered who I was and with the help of my friends…I was able to save the world. Did you know he invaded grandma's house before, mother?"

Katyana's eyes widened in horrific realization.

"Yeah, that's what he did. He kidnapped grandma and kept her for three years in an abandoned cathedral and I didn't even know she was still alive! She suffered at the hands of a madman who wanted to unleash evil in the world…and you don't even care to know the hell she had been through! She was kept locked up twenty four seven, she had every single thing she treasured of me destroyed…and he almost killed her in front of me if I didn't surrender to my powers!"

Katyana stayed silent as Remi's body began to tremble, tears streaming down her face as she continuously had to wipe her eyes with the palms of her hands. Isadora wrapped her arm around her shoulder as she felt her own tears pour down her face. Katyana stared at both of them before backing away, her long white hair shielding her gaze. Remi and Isadora both saw her teeth grit and she balled her hands into two fists.

"You think you're the only one who suffered? Your grandmother wasn't even there in my time of need! The name calling, the bullying, when your father abandoned me when he found out I was pregnant with you. I was lonely, desperate for comfort, but it never came! I tried to be a good mother, tried to teach you the ways of the world, but you went behind my back and went _her_ way instead!"

Katyana waved an angry finger at her mother and felt her eyes grow wet and tight. "I told you magic was forbidden, but you never listened! The pressure was too much for me that I decided to leave you in the hands of that witch!"

Isadora could no longer contain herself and stepped in front of Remi, shielding her daughter's gaze from her own. "You speak the words of a true devil. I let you weep on my shoulder, scream out in anger why the world had to be so cruel, and supported you when you no longer wanted to practice magic. Yet…your rage had gotten the best of you. It pained me that you did not accept my comfort, and I cannot fathom what had happened to you as a child…but taking the rage out on your own daughter makes my blood boil!"

Katyana stared at them in disbelief and she backed away, a sad smile spreading across her face as her fists tightened. Remi stepped from behind her grandmother as they watched her intently.

"Why are you really here?" Katyana finally demanded.

"We want to make peace with you, mother. I want to use my powers to set your soul free of your suffering…but I see this is where you truly belong."

Isadora looked as Remi turned her back on both of them. "I can now see there is no redemption for you, mother. Until you can learn to fight your own demons, I cannot give you the help you want. So…I'm afraid this is goodbye."

Snapping her fingers, Remi's body glowed yellow and she disappeared into dust in front of them. Katyana was shocked and looked at Isadora, but saw she too was backing away from her. Desparate tears forming in her eyes, she slunk to her knees and grasped her mother's ankle, pulling her back. Isadora turned her head around and saw her daughter's sad begging eyes. "Please, mother. Release me from this suffering. I can bear it no longer!"

Isadora at first was tempted, but remembering the kind of person she was, she kicked her ankle free from her daughter's hands and turned her back on her. "Remi is right, Katyana. I cannot help you anymore." Her lips quivered as she snapped her fingers, disappearing into yellow light until Katyana was alone.

"No, please don't leave me! No!" The white-haired woman sobbed as she slunk to her side with her knees to her chest.

* * *

Hours passed and day soon turned into night. This time, out of the nights in Kamar-Taj, the moon was bigger and fuller than it was ever before, as if it was finally showing its freedom ever since it had been imprisoned in the Dark Dimension. The stars shown even brighter and the sky was a blanket of beautiful, indigo darkness. The students and masters of Kamar-Taj had retreated to their chambers after a full day of training, reading books, and being away to fight for Earth's protection, though it was only situations involving bank robberies or hostage takers. All in all, every single one of them returned alive and prepared for another threat.

"So even in death your mother hasn't changed," Stephen lay in Remi's bed with one arm wrapped around her. Frowning and her look growing solemn, she leaned in closer to Stephen's body and rested her head against his naked chest. "No. She's the same bitter woman I have always remembered."

"What a pity," Stephen sighed. "I thought you were going to release her spirit and set her free."

"That was the plan," Remi narrowed her eyes a bit. "But once I realized she still blamed us for her misfortunes, I could not grant her that gift."

Stephen looked down at her and stroked the back of her head. "You did the right thing, Remi. Even though she suffered in her childhood, she made it even worse by putting the blame on the family who tried to love and care for her."

Remi smiled and scooted even closer to him until she fit perfectly against his side. After her altercation with Katyana, she did not feel like sleeping alone. Isadora had offered her to spend the night in her quarters, but she felt as if she needed some alone time to clear herself of her thoughts. Remi decided it was best for Stephen to come spend the night with her, in his arms where she felt as safe as she did with her grandmother. The doctor slightly tilted his head upward and gently kissed her forehead.

"Things will get better in time, Remi," he assured her. "It just takes a while."

"Says the man who always wanted to perfect things quickly," Remi shot him a mock glare that made him laugh. "The Sorcerer Supreme was right about you, Stephen. You have changed for the better indeed."

Stephen eyed her amusingly and tugged at her until she was straddling him. Remi yelped as she felt her body land atop of his, staring into those bright blue eyes that shined through the darkness of the bedroom. He gently pulled her head into his and started to kiss her passionately. The young woman made no protest and melted into her surrender, letting Stephen control her body as if she were a puppet on strings, but gently tended to as if she were as fine as porcelain. Remi ran her hands down his naked chest and his sides, feeling every muscle that caused her body to shiver with that particular sensation when things were starting to get intimate.

Stephen grabbed her sides and shifted his weight until her back was against the mattress, him on the opposite side of her. He stared into Remi's enticing Dijon colored eyes as he could no longer contain himself. He leaned into her face and crushed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss that sent his mind into a tizzy, Remi's eyes closed as she felt like she had no control over herself. Stephen grabbed one hand and placed it up over her head, fingers interlacing hers as he clutched tightly. Remi gasped when she felt his lips break away from hers and started to brush across her jawline, underneath her chin and down her throat.

Stephen stopped and pulled away. He saw the skin showing through her thin white nightgown begin to tremble. Remi's cheeks grew bright red and her eyes closed, feeling incredibly aroused by his soft kisses and touches. At first, he thought about stopping and almost pulled away but Remi saw his movements and touched his bare shoulder. She assured him she was ok and that he did nothing wrong.

"I'm sorry, Remi…" Stephen apologized. "I'm just afraid you'll think I'm taking things too far."

"Too far?" Remi shot up from her laying position. "Stephen, I don't mind it at all. In fact I like it when you…when you…" her face started to flush crimson and she yelped, turning away from him with a nervous look.

"When I what?" Stephen saw she averted her gaze from him. A smirk spread across his face and he crawled towards her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and rested his head in the crook of her neck.

"When you see me shirtless, with my body pressed like this against yours?" Stephen whispered in her ear.

At first Remi stayed silent but shuttered when she felt his lips kiss the right side of her face before trailing to her ear, nibbling at the sensitive skin around and from behind. She bit her lip as he brushed his lips down the side of her face, down her neck, and across her shoulder, stopping at the base. He pulled the white fabric aside until her shoulder was naked and began to kiss at the sensitive bare skin. Remi's breath shuttered as she felt his soft lips dance on her skin, licking across until he came back to the crook of her neck.

"That's what you like, isn't it?" Stephen asked as he straddled her once more. Remi was back against the mattress and her face was hot to the touch, but Stephen knew she did not have a fever. In fact, this was the happiest she had felt in a long time.

"Yes…this is what I like," she gasped out as her body began to calm down. Stephen smiled at her as he brushed his knuckles against her cheek. Remi felt her throat grow sore from all this passion and swallowed to moisten.

"Remi," Stephen smiled as he lay down beside her. "You know when I told you I loved you, I meant every single word I said."

"I know," Remi smiled back. "Because I love you too, Stephen Strange."

This was all Stephen needed to hear as Remi looked at him with happy golden amber eyes. Pressing their heads together, Stephen pulled her in closer and wrapped his arms around her abdomen. Remi felt his protective embrace as she slunk back into the bed comfortable with Stephen Strange by her side. The night grew silent once more as they fell asleep in a warm embrace.

* * *

Morning soon came and Stephen made his way towards the New York Sanctum. Wong stood waiting for him as he entered moments later. Stephen saw he was spinning the globe around, checking to make sure the light around it had not faded. "Word of the Ancient One's death will spread across the multiverse. With no Sorcerer Supreme to defend Earth, we must be ready for any chance we have."

"We will be," Stephen told Wong as he looked up at the globe. "I know we will be."

"You sound confident," Wong smiled at him. "And not the cocky kind. You really mean your words don't you, Master Strange?"

"Master," the words rolled off Stephen's tongue. "That kind of has a nice ring to it. Master Stephen Vincent saves the world. You think it'll fit in the headlines?"

"Don't push your luck," Wong looked at him unamused. Stephen apologized as he felt the Cloak of Levitation settle on his shoulders. The doors to the New York Sanctum opened and he stepped inside. Wong watched him disappear as the heavy doors closed behind him.

* * *

Walking up the steps of the New York Sanctum, Stephen stared out at the scenery before him. There were a bunch of cars and people moving about in the streets. Looking down at his wrist, Stephen dug through his pockets until he felt his fingers clasp around something leathery. Taking it out, he saw he still had the broken watch Christine had given him as a gift once they were in a relationship. He never understood why he had kept it, and it was not because he still held strong feelings for his ex-girlfriend, but because he remembered her standing by his side as a true, best friend that she still was and always will be to him.

"So…" a woman's voice started. Turning around, he saw Remi walking up the stairs to his side. "A new day begins. What is Master Strange going to do now?"

"I'm going to defend this Sanctum with my life," Stephen clutched the broken watch tightly. Remi observed it and held out her hand, requesting to take a look at it. Stephen handed the watch over and she flipped it over, reading the engraving on the back. _Time will tell how much I love you. ~Christine._

"I got it as a birthday present from her. She…she emailed me telling how happy she was for me. Not that she was still in love with me, but because I had been able to move on with someone who deserved me."

Remi stayed silent as Stephen looked at her. "Remi…will you guard this Sanctum by my side?" she looked at him and handed him back his watch, clasping her fingers around his.

"It would be my pleasure."

Smiling back at her, Stephen looked down at the watch and contemplated about fastening it around his wrist, but felt like it needed a more suitable place. He placed it against the windowsill and his grip tightened around Remi's hand. They both stared out into the scenery below as they realized their destiny had been fulfilled.

They would protect the world from anything and anyone who tried to take it away from them. They were now Master of the Mystic Arts.

* * *

The End

Here it is, the final chapter of the story! This had to be one of my favorites to write because Doctor Strange is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time and it is a huge ride or die for me! I'm so excited to announce the DVD comes out February 28th! Anywho, I hope you enjoyed reading this story just as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

 _Do not forget to review!_ Flames and all are welcomed.

Thanks for reading and see ya next time! :)


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